Press Releases

MTN in public-private partnership initiative to use cellphones to fight HIV/AIDS

The MTN Group is pleased to announce that it is the first mobile operator partner in the Phones-for-Health initiative, a public-private partnership to help fight HIV/AIDS and other major health challenges in Africa. Phones-for-Health was launched in Barcelona, Spain, today by the GSM Association (GSMA).

MTN, the GSMA and other leading players in the mobile phone industry will work in close collaboration with Ministries of Health, global health organisations and donors to use the widespread and increasing mobile phone coverage in the developing world to strengthen health systems.

Through Phones-for-Health, health workers in the field can use software on their mobile phones to submit critical health information directly into central computer systems, allowing health officials to view, analyse and respond to this vital data immediately.

The health workers enter data directly on the phone, which then transfers the data via a packet based mobile connection (GPRS) into a central database. If GPRS is not available, the software can use a SMS data channel to transmit the information.

The health workers will also be able to use the system to order medicine, send alerts and download treatment guidelines, training materials and other appropriate information. Managers at the regional and national level can access information in real-time via a web-based dashboard with interactive GIS mapping, charting and automated analysis.

Phones-for-Health initially focuses on 10 African countries, building on a successful deployment in Rwanda which deployed TRACnet, the system used to manage that country’s national HIV/AIDS programme for the last two years.

As the operator partner in the programme, MTN, which operates in 21 countries in Africa (including Rwanda) and the Middle East, will support the roll out of the handsets and the service. MTN will also provide the hosting infrastructure for hosting the applications in each country, in-bound 800 services, and SMS and GPRS services to support the use of the applications. In addition, MTN will support the training of end-users. All these services will be provided on a subsidised basis. Says MTN Group President and CEO, Phuthuma Nhleko: “The Phones-for-Health partnership is an acknowledgement of the strength and depth of mobile communications in emerging markets, as well as the push to use technology to help solve the serious health problems prevalent across the globe. Through the MTN Foundation, we are involved in other initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS in many of our operations in Africa and we are proud to be one of the first operators to be associated with this project.”

The other Phones-for-Health partners include the GSMA’s Development Fund, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Motorola and Voxiva.

“Rapid and accurate communications channels are crucial to tackling the many health problems faced by African countries and other parts of the developing world,” says Rob Conway, Chief Executive of the GSMA. “The roll out of this disease surveillance software in Africa will clearly demonstrate how governments can utilise the expanding mobile infrastructure to enhance the well-being of their citizens.”

In many African countries, fixed-line Internet connections are rare and paper forms are still the primary way of recording the spread of disease. However, more than 60% of the population now lives in areas with mobile phone coverage and the GSMA expects that figure to rise to 85% by 2010.

This has made it feasible to use mobile phones to relay relevant information directly into health authorities’ computer systems, thereby enabling rapid interventions such as distribution of medication and education programmes for those at risk.