Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

International Conference on Health Information Science

HIS 2015: Health Information Science pp 231–240Cite as

SMS for Life in Burundi and Zimbabwe: A Comparative Evaluation

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

  • 1338 Accesses

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 9085))

Abstract

Several benefits of mobile health (mHealth) technologies have been documented in the literature. However, available literature is not as “extensive” as those in developed countries, particularly on implementation issues and challenges of mHealth interventions. This is worrying, as addressing the usefulness and appropriateness of a mHealth program before implementation is essential. This paper comparatively assessed the ease and appropriateness of implementing a Short Messaging Service (SMS)-based mHealth technology in developing countries of similar settings. The framework of Marshall, Lewis and Whittaker, based on the Bridges’ criteria, was chosen for the comparison. It was found that Burundi has many challenges that need to be addressed first before implementing a mHealth intervention. Zimbabwe enjoys a better funding model with more ‘experience’ in eHealth projects and initiatives, and a successful mHealth intervention is more plausible. This paper highlights the importance of critically assessing the mHealth intervention and the target community before implementation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Barnett, I., Gallegos, J.: Using mobile phones for nutrition surveillance: A review of evidence. Institute of Development Studies (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barrington, J., Wereko-Brobby, O., Ward, P., Mwafongo, W., Kungulwe, S.: SMS for Life: a pilot project to improve anti-malarial drug supply management in rural Tanzania using standard technology. Malaria Journal 9 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Black, J.: Low-cost technology for health in developing countries. Lecture, Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Blake, C., Cartana, L., Castro, G., Zahorka, M.: E-Learning and continuous education within the health facility setting, March 2013

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chan, C., Kaufman, D.: A technology selection framework for supporting delivery of patient-oriented health interventions in developing countries. Journal of Biomedical Informatics 43, 300–306 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, P.: Well Blog. The New York Times, July 26 2012. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/what-we-can-learn-from-third-world-health-care/?_r=1 (retrieved November 3 2014)

  7. Chiumbu, S., Nyamanhindi, R.: Negotiating the crisis: mobile phones and the informal economy in Zimbabwe. In: Chiumbu, S., Musemwa, M. (eds.) CRISIS! WHAT CRISIS? The multiple dimensions of the Zimbabwean crisis, pp. 62–80. HSRC Press (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Githinji, S., Kigen, S., Memusi, D., Nyandigisi, A., Mbithi, A., Wamari, A., et al.: Reducing stock-outs of life saving malaria commodities using mobile phone text-messaging: SMS for Life study in Kenya. PloS ONE, January 17 2013

    Google Scholar 

  9. Greenmash. Plans. Greenmash (2013). http://greenmash.com/products/pricing/ (retrieved November 27 2014)

  10. Gruber, H., Koutroumpis, P.: Mobile telecommunications and the impact on economic development. Economic Policy 26(67), 387–426 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hall, C., Fottrell, E., Wilkinson, S., Byass, P.: Assessing the impact of mHealth interventions in low- and middle-income countries - what has been shown to work?. Global Health Action 2014 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  12. International Standards Organization. (n.d.). ISO/TC 215 Health Informatics. ISO. http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_committee?commid=54960 (retrieved December 09 2014)

  13. International Telecommunications Union. Statistics. International Telecommunications Union: Committed to connecting the world (2013). http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx (retrieved November 27 2014)

  14. Jacobsen, J.: The role of technological change in increasing gender equity with a focus on information and communications technology. ACSPL Working Paper Series 1(2) (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  15. James, J.: The distributional effects of leapfrogging in mobile phones. Telematics and Informatics 29(3), 294–301 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Jentzsch, N.: Implications of mandatory registration of mobile phone users in Africa. Telecommunications Policy 36(8), 608–620 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kallander, K., Tibenderana, J., Akpogheneta, O., Strachan, D., Hill, Z., Asbroek, A., et al.: Mobile health (mHealth) approaches and lessons for increased performance and retention of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries: A review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 15(1) (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Karopka, T., Schmuhl, H., Demski, H.: Free/Libre Open Source Software in Health Care: A Review. Healthcare Informatics Research 20(1), 11–22 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kefela, G.: The impact of mobile phone and economic growth in developing countries. African Journal of Business Management 5(2), 269–275 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Labrique, A., Vasudevan, L., Kochi, E., Fabricant, R., Mehl, G.: mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework. Global Health: Science and Practice 1(2), 160–171 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lee, S., Gardner, L.: Does the spread of mobile phones promote economic development? Empirical evidence from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa regions. Southwestern Economic Review 38, 15–26 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Machingura, P., Adekola, O., Mueni, E., Oaiya, O., Gustafsson, L., Heller, R.: Perceived value of applying Information Communication Technology to implement guidelines in developing countries; an online questionnaire study among public health workers. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics 6(2) (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Marshall, C., Lewis, D., Whittaker, M. mHealth technologies in developing countries: a feasibility assessment and a proposed framework. University of Queensland, School of Population Health. Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mburu, S., Franz, E., Springer, T. A conceptual framework for designing mHealth solutions for developing countries. In: Proceedings of the 3rd ACM MobiHoc Workshop on Pervasive Wireless Healthcare, pp. 31–36. ACM (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mwabukusi, M., Karimuribo, E., Rweyemamu, M., Beda, E.: Mobile technologies for disease surveillance in humans and animals. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. 81. AOSIS OpenJournals (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Novartis. Novartis Malaria Initiative. Novartis (2014). http://malaria.novartis.com/innovation/sms-for-life/index.shtml (retrieved November 26 2014)

  27. Parnaudeau, M., Garcia, H.: Designing simulations for health managers in sub-saharan african countries: adherence to eHealth services. In: Ma, M., Jain, L., Anderson, P. (eds.) Virtual, Augmented Reality and Serious Games for Healthcare I, vol. 68, pp. 93–109. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  28. Payne, J.: The state of standards and interoperability for mHealth among low- and middle-income countries. mHealth Alliance (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Roll Back Malaria. SMS for Life: An RBM initiative. Roll Back Malaria (2010). http://rbm.who.int/psm/smsWhatIsIt.html (retrieved December 4 2014)

  30. Samarajiva, R., Stork, C., Kapugama, N., Zuhyle, S., Perera, R.: Mobile phone interventions for improving economic and productive outcomes for farm and non-farm rural enterprises and households in low and middle-income countries. International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, November 2013

    Google Scholar 

  31. The World Bank. Data. The World Bank (2014). http://data.worldbank.org/income-level/LIC (retrieved December 06 2014)

  32. Thulani, D.: Adoption and use of SMS/mobile banking services in Zimbabwe: An exploratory study. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce 16(2) (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Wall, P., Vallieres, F., McAuliffe, E., Lewis, D., Hederman, L.: Implementing mHealth in low-and middle-income countries: What should program implementers consider?. In: Adibi, S. (ed.) mHealth Multidisciplinary Verticals, pp. 259–275. CRC Press (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Wasserman, H.: Mobile Phones, Popular Media, and Everyday African Democracy: Transmissions and Transgressions. Popular Communication: The International Journal of Media and Culture 9(2), 146–158 (2011)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  35. World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory. World Health Organization (2012). http://www.who.int/gho/malaria/epidemic/cases/en/ (retrieved November 26 2014)

  36. World Health Organization. Global Observatory for eHealth. World Health Organization (2014). http://www.who.int/goe/policies/countries/zwe/en/ (retrieved November 26 2014)

  37. Yang, J., Kahn, J.S., Kahn, J.G.: ‘Mobile’ Health Needs and Opportunities in Developing Countries. Health Affairs 29(2), 252–258 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Zimbabwe Ministy of Health and Child Welfare. Zimbabwe’s E-Health strategy 2012-2017 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Information, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Gerardo Luis Dimaguila

Authors
  1. Gerardo Luis Dimaguila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerardo Luis Dimaguila .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Xiaoxia Yin

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Kendall Ho

  3. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Daniel Zeng

  4. University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Uwe Aickelin

  5. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Rui Zhou

  6. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Hua Wang

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Dimaguila, G.L. (2015). SMS for Life in Burundi and Zimbabwe: A Comparative Evaluation. In: Yin, X., Ho, K., Zeng, D., Aickelin, U., Zhou, R., Wang, H. (eds) Health Information Science. HIS 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9085. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19156-0_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19156-0_24

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19155-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19156-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation