Post on 27-Jan-2015
description
Mobile Technologies for the Management and Monitoring of
HIV and AIDS
Prof Darelle van Greunen School of ICT
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Purpose of this Presenta?on
How can ICTs be taken onboard to assist with the fight against HIV/AIDS?
How can we be sure that mobile healthcare (mHealth) is not just technology-‐driven hype?
Taking ICT on board
• HIV/AIDS informaJon should be found everywhere – radio, cell phone, TV and internet.
• ICTs make HIV/AIDS informaJon easily accessible, confidenJal and user friendly.
• ICTs have become more and more accessible to everyone including the rural communiJes.
The South African Landscape
• Largest on African conJnent in terms of revenue and customers of ICT market.
• Telecomms well developed with a range of transmission media.
• 98% mobile penetraJon, 4th largest mobile communicaJon market in the world (2011).
• High internet penetraJon. • ICT market forecasted to grow 11.3% p.a.
Why is it not happening?
• Lack of awareness from management level and the rural communiJes in understanding the potenJal impacts that ICT can have.
• People are stuck in their ways and it will require a paradigm shiX to move away from an industrial thinking to an informaJon technology-‐thinking paYern.
Opportuni?es: WWW
• InformaJon and data from all over the world is available through the internet.
• MeeJngs, conferences, workshops, seminars and trainings on HIV/ AIDS are mainly announced through the different web-‐pages that deal with issues of HIV/ AIDS.
• There are also chat pages available for youths interested in talking and discussing their views and fears about the disease.
Opportuni?es: Mobile
• The example of Kenya – One World has launched a service using text messages whereby people can text quesJons regarding HIV/AIDS to a special number and receives a reply.
– Daily Jps are also sent to mobile subscribers detailing how to prevent and deal with infecJon.
– InformaJon is available in both English and Kiswahili languages that are the most commonly used.
Mobile Health Tools • Mobile tools support the viewing, receiving, and/or sending informaJon to and from cellular phones and other wireless devices.
• Encompasses many things -‐ the mobile web, mobile applicaJons, and text messaging.
• Mobile health tools can help paJents set up medicaJon and medical appointment reminders and receive these reminders through email or Short Message Service (SMS)/text messages.
• Various mobile health applicaJons or “apps” for iPhones/Smartphones also support healthcare management.
Opportuni?es
• ICT intervenJons in South Africa – Primarily pilot projects – Limited number
• NaJonal e-‐Health Strategy • Strategic Health InnovaJon Partnerships (SHIP) – Focus on medical devices – Specific focus on HIV and TB
• Inter-‐insJtuJonal collaboraJon across disciplines
The future
• CollaboraJve partnerships across disciplines • Capita l i ze on knowledge of mobi le applicaJons on African conJnent
• Quick win intervenJons – Social network sites – Blogs – Mobile health tools/applicaJons – Pod casts – Short video clips on phones
Thank you for your aHen?on.
Contact: Darelle.vanGreunen@nmmu.ac.za