The government of India is launching a set of four mHealth services — Kilkari, Mobile Academy, M-Cessation and TB Missed Call — to enhance access and make for a more cost effective treatments.
“The m-Health initiatives launched today will enhance access, make our services cost effective and our systems more robust. We are on our way to realize the vision of our Prime Minister by going digital,” Union Health Minister JP Nadda said after the launch. “These four mobile health services will be a game changer in health communication. I am confident that these initiatives will bring us closer to people who need our services the most.”
The first of the services, Kilkari — which means “a baby’s gurgle” — involves the delivery of 72 audio messages about pregnancy, child birth and child care. In the first phase, Kilkari will be available in Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and High Priority Districts (HPDs) of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Then comes Mobile Academy, a free audio training course designed to expand and refresh the knowledge base of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and improve their communication skills. The service aims to reduce the need to travel, sometimes great distances, and provides ASHAs with the flexibility they need to learn at their own pace and at times they find convenient. This service is being launched in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
The new mHealth services were launched with support from the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, USAID and other development partners.The third service, M-Cessation, aims at reaching out to those willing to quit tobacco and support them towards successful quitting through text messages. Apparently, such approach has been found to be cost-effective in comparison to traditional options for cessation support.
Finally, under the TB Missed Call initiative, a helpline with a toll free number will be established to provide information, counseling and treatment support services for TB. Initially, the service will be available to people in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.
The new mHealth services were launched with support from the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, USAID and other development partners.
[Via: The Economic Times of India]