Mobile Global HealthAnita Beninger and Holly Wood

Emerging Markets in Digital Media

• Why we chose mobile technology for health• History• Examples of mobiles in use• Research• Conclusion

Overview

• Health is an important issue that effects everyone

• Good health improves quality of life for all and lowers healthcare costs

• While disease transmission climbs, SMS can educate to deter escalation

Why Did we Choose Health?

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Introduction

• Health is an important • Youth in bottom billion countries are

especially at risk• Programs are being developed globally to

inform youth of diseases and how to protect themselves.

• We chose two organizations focusing on youth and disease prevention through SMS.

• 1997-98 US teens • picked up SMS

• 2003 SARS epidemic

• 2009 H1N1 pandemic

History

ISIS

• Developing technology for reproductive health• Reproductive health (SMS) educational resources

http://www.isis-inc.org/about.php

History of ISIS

• Internet Sexuality Information Services, Inc. (ISIS) started in 2001

• Partnered with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) in 2006 to create SexInfo

• SexInfo was inspired by London’s Brook Centre’s program (American Journal of Health, March 2008)

About the Program

• Target market 18-24 years• First program in the US• SexInfo is menu based and

keyword driven• One-for-one texting

http://www.sextextsf.org/

Marketing Strategy for SexInfo

• Advertising was strategically placed in bus shelters and neighborhoods

• Posters and palm cards were distributed on the street and at schools by outreach workers

• Targeted banner ads ran for 2-weeks

Costs of Program Implementation

• $20,000 to develop• $15,000 for initial marketing/evaluation• $1,500 per month for maintenance (American

Journal of Health, March 2008)

Interesting Facts

• 85% of San Francisco youths aged 12-24 years owned cellular phones

• 33% of all US adolescents aged 12-14 years and 66% of high school seniors own cellular phones

• Test message scripts were developed by health educators to consist of 160-character limit

• African American youths are more likely to report awareness than any other race (American Journal of Health, March 2008)

Results

• In the first 25 weeks of service there were more than 4500 inquiries; 2500 inquiries led to information/referrals

• Consistent positive associations were found between demographic risk factors for STIs and campaign awareness

• Those who saw the ad reported that text-messaging services, caught their attention

• Overall texting is an effective way to communicate with low-income youths

History of World Education

• History of working in reproductive health education since 1951

• M-Info Project was conceived from an idea to apply new ways of technology to educate the disadvantaged

http://ghana.worlded.org

About the Program

• Project focuses on using mobile technology• to confront reproductive health issues

• Project team created reproductive health• information based on student responses

• Target market is students 18-30 years

• HIV/Aids and STD information via (SMS)

Marketing Strategy for M-Info

• Focus groups• Survey phone calls to recipients• Distribution of flyers and stickers on campuses

(World Education Ghana, 2009)

Cost of Program Support

• $0.040Gp = $0.0283 per text message(World Education Ghana, 2009)

Interesting Facts

• 7-million mobile phone users in Ghana mostly made up of youth

• Over 95 percent of students in college in Ghana own mobile phones

• Texting is the cheapest and most common form of communication

Results

• 1,000 student referrals in Accra• Serving 450 students weekly• Positive student feedback shows that M-Info is a

very helpful service• Though there has been a decrease in the

prevalence rate of the HIV epidemic in the last three to four years, there is currently no way to determine if this service is decreasing the amount of disease spread

Projects to Follow

Public Health Seattle and King County

• Grant funded UW and CDC• SMS health related research• SMS emergency communication• Qualitative research on youth • and SMS

Centers for Disease Control

• SMS Health updates• Flu Updates,

emergency text messages and the CDC data and statistics widget

www.cdc.gov

Children’s Hospital Boston• iPhone App

partnership with MIT media lab

• "Outbreaks Near Me," builds upon the mission and proven capability of HealthMap, an online resource that collects, filters, maps and disseminates information about emerging infectious diseases

www.childrenshospital.org

What does Mobile Information Offer for Health?

• Timely, accessible and credible health information

• Fills in the gap where internet access is not readily available

• Creates an affordable solution for non-profit health organizations

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Conclusion:• SMS is an effective and affordable way for health-

related organizations to communicate with youth regarding health issues

• We believe this is a service that will allow for people to get quicker access to healthcare, especially those in rural areas of bottom billion countries

• where healthcare is scarce as we are already seeing in places like Ghana, Malawi and India

• The research and data presented today demonstrates that the U.S. has some catching up to do in terms of providing better services for youth