Mobile Phone Interventions for Reproductive Health (m4RH): Testing the Feasibility of Text Messaging to Improve Family Planning

Posted by MohiniBhavsar on Oct 06, 2010
Author: 
Kelly L’Engle and Heather Vadhat
Publication Type: 
Report/White paper
Publication Date: 
Jul 2009
Publisher/Journal: 
Family Health International
Publication language: 
English
Abstract: 

Mobile phones are currently used by millions of people around the world. In Africa, mobile phone ownership and use has dispersed at a surprisingly rapid rate across the continent. Recently, there have been multiple and diverse efforts to exploit mobile technologies for purposes of health communication, including collection of health data and provision of health information. Using mobile phones to provide family planning information, however, is a new area that has received almost no attention from health workers.

Recognizing this as a gap and an opportunity, the Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) project was born. The m4RH project is conceptualized as an automated, text-based system that is compatible with any and every mobile phone to maximize reach and access to family planning information via mobile phone. Since this is a new project and mobile phones are a novel method of delivering family planning information, formative research to obtain feedback on the project was carried out in countries where the m4RH project will be piloted in 2010.

Countries: 
Citation: 
L’Engle and Vadhat. (2009). Mobile Phone Interventions for Reproductive Health (m4RH): Testing the Feasibility of Text Messaging to Improve Family Planning. Family Health International
Mobile Phone Interventions for Reproductive Health (m4RH): Testing the Feasibility of Text Messaging to Improve Family Planning data sheet 2486 Views
Author: 
Kelly L’Engle and Heather Vadhat
Publication Type: 
Report/White paper
Publication Date: 
Jul 2009
Publisher/Journal: 
Family Health International
Publication language: 
English
Abstract: 

Mobile phones are currently used by millions of people around the world. In Africa, mobile phone ownership and use has dispersed at a surprisingly rapid rate across the continent. Recently, there have been multiple and diverse efforts to exploit mobile technologies for purposes of health communication, including collection of health data and provision of health information. Using mobile phones to provide family planning information, however, is a new area that has received almost no attention from health workers.

Recognizing this as a gap and an opportunity, the Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) project was born. The m4RH project is conceptualized as an automated, text-based system that is compatible with any and every mobile phone to maximize reach and access to family planning information via mobile phone. Since this is a new project and mobile phones are a novel method of delivering family planning information, formative research to obtain feedback on the project was carried out in countries where the m4RH project will be piloted in 2010.

Countries: 
Citation: 
L’Engle and Vadhat. (2009). Mobile Phone Interventions for Reproductive Health (m4RH): Testing the Feasibility of Text Messaging to Improve Family Planning. Family Health International

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