“Galaxy S6?” Once I read the news article, I
looked at my cell phone. I bought this Galaxy S3 in the summer of 2013, and it
is still fine. I finished paying the rest of the price of this phone throughout
two-year contract and revived the same U.S. number when I came back in last
January. I think Samsung release the new product every single year, and now it
is the S6 this year. The difference between S3 and S6? Well, I do not know. My
S3 accepted every SIM card in each African country, and I was amazed by its
durability. I may be an old-fashioned man whose willingness to learn the new
technology has been stopped in 20th century, so I am not that
interested in the new and cool functions that only a new model of a machine
has. I have to admit that I laughed at my high school teacher inwardly when he
told “I don’t know how to text. I can
only answer and call the phone.” during the class. For me? “I can text, answer and call the phone. But…
what is the mobile application?” I realize that I am old enough who has no
interest in cell phone subsidy in South Korea and satisfied with only text,
answer and call.
 |
| From PewResearchCenter |
While the
cell phone price & charge, subsidy, new function, and comparison between
Galaxy and iPhone are actively argued by people in the rich country, the
cell phone is the tool of lifesaver for people in rural Africa. You cannot
imagine that at least one family member in each household in rural Africa may
have cell phone (of course, literally cell phone but not smartphone in most
cases). The number of mobile phone has already exceeded world population.
If you are
under emergency – cut your finger or labor pains begin – you may call 911 and
get assistance almost right away. Hospital is located nearby and doctors and
nurses in the ER will help you (I heard the ER situation that patients may have
to wait for the whole night to get medical treatment if the level of emergency
is not fatal, but anyway, I believe patients will save their lives thanks to
911, transportation, and hospital). What about Africa? Is there 911? Is there
hospital? Is the medical service 24/7? Is there a car to refer patients to
hospital? Is fuel available for the car? You can see that everything that is
considered as too obvious is not available in rural Africa. Many
pregnant women do not receive proper antenatal care and die of birth
complications only because they have no money to buy fuel, the road condition
is muddy track, no one can help them in the health facility at night, and many
other reasons that city people have never raised the point about.
How can
the situation be solved? Medical infrastructure – hospitals, medical doctors
and nurses -, transportation – vehicle and road condition -, and education –
people’s awareness of healthcare – cannot be improved like magic.
In Sierra
Leone, doctor-patient-ratio (population per 1 doctor) is 1 to 45,588, which
means there is only one doctor available for 45,588 populations. The total
population in Sierra Leone is 6.2 million, and if you divide 45,588 by 6.2
million, you will see there are only 136 medical doctors in Sierra Leone for
entire population. It is obvious that even medical device and protective gloves
are not available to treat Ebola patients, so Ebola outbreak in West Africa has
not still contained.
 |
| Mali mHealth Application: SNISI |
I have
been working on NIH R21 project, <Virtual Community Health Services- for
Equity and Quality in Health Care in Mali> since the beginning of this year.
The team has been thinking how mHealth intervention package will save people’s
lives in the Sélingué health district, 120km south-west
from the capital city of Mali. I believe mobile health (mHealth) can
be the second best plan to improve maternal, neonatal and child health in
Africa. Most people has the cell phone to text, take pictures or video, and
some people can make or receive payments, get political news, access social
network, get health info, look/apply for a job, and get consumer info.
Community health workers in Africa have a strong sense of duty that they are responsible for visiting household to assist inhabitants to maintain their healthy lives. If people in the village can receive the text message reminders that let them know the timing of antenatal care visits or Sulfadoxmine/Pyrimethamine medication, and receive health education from community health workers regularly, they will realize the importance of healthcare during pregnancy. If the mHealth system among district hospital, vehicle driver for emergency, community health worker, village leader, and village member is systematically connected, most diseases can be prevented, and child and maternal health will be dramatically improved. Yes, mHealth is the solution for healthcare in rural Africa for the present, and I hope the health system with mobile technology will be established soon so that no one in rural area deliver their baby at home and give birth to their child without any complications.
Community health workers in Africa have a strong sense of duty that they are responsible for visiting household to assist inhabitants to maintain their healthy lives. If people in the village can receive the text message reminders that let them know the timing of antenatal care visits or Sulfadoxmine/Pyrimethamine medication, and receive health education from community health workers regularly, they will realize the importance of healthcare during pregnancy. If the mHealth system among district hospital, vehicle driver for emergency, community health worker, village leader, and village member is systematically connected, most diseases can be prevented, and child and maternal health will be dramatically improved. Yes, mHealth is the solution for healthcare in rural Africa for the present, and I hope the health system with mobile technology will be established soon so that no one in rural area deliver their baby at home and give birth to their child without any complications.
POSTSCRIPT:
Carpe
Diem, lads! Seize the day!
