Apr 23. 2015. Mobile Health

“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 20^th 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.

CellPhones in Africa: Communication Lifeline

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.

GlobalHealth Facts: Physicians (Per 10,000 Population)

Ebola outbreak: Which West African countries could be next in the line of fire?

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.

POSTSCRIPT:

Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day!