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.

Reality.

The other day we had the chance to spend a fair amount of time in Zwide and Njoli townships. I’ve seen poverty and struggle back home, in urban and rural areas alike, the same sort of struggle can be found here in Port Elizabeth.

As much as South Africa has been able to successfully host the football World Cup and its manufacturing industry is one of the biggest on the continent there are still millions of South Africans struggling to make ends meet. This is a recurring theme across the continent of course, but sometimes I need reminders in order to fully appreciate the harsh realities on the ground.

Many in the township have no consistent employment, HIV and AIDS are ravaging the population and “by any means” necessary is a mantra followed by too many, resulting in too many incidents of rape, violence and theft. Of course PE is not the only city/ region facing such problems. Africa’s poor, have been short changed by historically failed leadership and mismanagement.

During the day the streets are littered with kids, of all ages, kicking around rag soccer balls, chasing each other down and generally not worrying about the bleak surroundings they find themselves in. By no means would I want to burden the thoughts of a child, with a run down of all of life’s harsh realities. But to leave a child, any child in these circumstances makes for an uncertain future. This is why the visit to SOS was particularly significant to me. In the SOS village, the kids have been given an opportunity to grow , express themselves and learn uninhibited by their surroundings. Every child deserves opportunities,and spending a few hours in the townships brought home so many of the troubles facing our continent.

There’s work to be done…