Virtuate

Mobile Health Savings Lives in the Developing World

Posted on 20 March 2009

From MediaGlobal.org:

Cell phones are now a common part of our everyday lives. But not
only is the technology taken for granted, its wide-reaching potential
is largely unrecognized. The technology that is found in cell phones
and PDAs is currently being applied to improve health services in developing countries.

The United Nations Foundation (UNF)
and Vodafone Foundation (VF) Technology Partnership is using mobile
health (mHealth) technology to support UN programs in developing
countries. Innovative mHealth projects are powering the collection of
health data, supporting diagnosis and treatment, and advancing
education and research in even the most remote and poverty stricken
environments.

In health care, time is of the essence. With
mobile technology, data can be quickly and accurately collected,
allowing health workers to coordinate their efforts and track the
success of health campaigns. This technology can also be used in
disaster and outbreak response, to track the spread of an epidemic in
real time. With the most up-to-date, easily accessible information and
communications, mHealth is revolutionizing healthcare delivery in much
of the developing world.

Read the rest here.