Innovations for health

Just caught wind of the Cellphones for HIV project run by an organization  known as Cell-Life which uses mobile technology to strengthen the HIV sector. Here is an excerpt from their website:

"In South Africa there are approximately 36 million active cellphone users, and around 80% of all youth and adults have a cellphone. While there are many companies making money from ringtones and picture downloads, there are very few socially relevant or developmental services. This project will explore how a range of cellphone services can provide information and communication services that are useful to people infected or affected by HIV.

The project will work in many areas of HIV:

• Mass messaging for prevention;
• Mass information for positive living;
• Linking patients and clinics;
• Peer-peer support and counselling;
• Building organisational capacity of HIV-related organisations;
• Monitoring and evaluation."

A nifty idea within the HIV response movement. I hope that such internventions can really be brought to scale - in an effective way. I personally like the mass info on positive living and linking of patients and clinics. One hopes that such a potentially massive project can be linked with the important stake holders in the field. Visit the Cell-Life website here.

Additionally Cell Life has developed mobile technology to  
1.  Help pharmacies distribute and account for ARVs;
2.  Created data collection platforms through mobile phone surveys, feedback, etc;
3.  They have also adapted HIV related websites to be accessible via basic cell phones.