Can mobile phones help control neglected tropical diseases? Experiences from Tanzania.

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dc.contributor.authorMadon, Shirin
dc.contributor.authorAmaguru, Jackline Olanya
dc.contributor.authorMalecela, Mwele Ntuli
dc.contributor.authorMichael, Edwin
dc.date.accessioned2020-02-06T18:51:30Z
dc.date.available2020-02-06T18:51:30Z
dc.date.issued2014-02-25
dc.description.abstractThe increasing proliferation of mobiles offers possibilities for improving health systems in developing countries A case in point is Tanzania which has piloted a mobile phone based Management Information System MIS for the control of neglected tropical diseases NTDs where village health workers VHWs were given mobile phones with web based software to test the feasibility of using frontline health workers to capture data at point of source Based on qualitative case study research carried out in 2011 we found that providing mobile phones to VHWs has helped to increase the efficiency of routine work boosting the motivation and self esteem of VHWs However despite these advantages the information generated from the mobile phone based NTD MIS has yet to be used to support decentralised decision making Even with improved technology and political will the biggest hindrance to local usage of information for health planning is the lack of synthesised and analysed health information from the district and national levels to the villages Without inculcating a culture of providing health information feedback to frontline workers and community organisations the benefits of the intervention will be limited If not addressed this will mean that mobiles have maintained the one way upward flow of information for NTD control and simply made reporting more hi tech
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.036
dc.identifier.urihttps://lib.digitalsquare.io/xmlui/handle/123456789/6930
dc.relation.uriSocial science And medicine (1982)
dc.titleCan mobile phones help control neglected tropical diseases? Experiences from Tanzania.en
dcterms.abstractThe increasing proliferation of mobiles offers possibilities for improving health systems in developing countries A case in point is Tanzania which has piloted a mobile phone based Management Information System MIS for the control of neglected tropical diseases NTDs where village health workers VHWs were given mobile phones with web based software to test the feasibility of using frontline health workers to capture data at point of source Based on qualitative case study research carried out in 2011 we found that providing mobile phones to VHWs has helped to increase the efficiency of routine work boosting the motivation and self esteem of VHWs However despite these advantages the information generated from the mobile phone based NTD MIS has yet to be used to support decentralised decision making Even with improved technology and political will the biggest hindrance to local usage of information for health planning is the lack of synthesised and analysed health information from the district and national levels to the villages Without inculcating a culture of providing health information feedback to frontline workers and community organisations the benefits of the intervention will be limited If not addressed this will mean that mobiles have maintained the one way upward flow of information for NTD control and simply made reporting more hi tech
dcterms.contributorMadon, Shirin
dcterms.contributorAmaguru, Jackline Olanya
dcterms.contributorMalecela, Mwele Ntuli
dcterms.contributorMichael, Edwin
dcterms.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.036
dcterms.relationSocial science And medicine (1982)
dcterms.titleCan mobile phones help control neglected tropical diseases? Experiences from Tanzania.en
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