SIG GlobDev - Global Development

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Paper Type

Complete

Paper Number

1695

Description

Global health equity is an elusive goal as developing countries lag behind the developed world in most health outcomes. The growth of mobile networks and mobile phone adoption across the developing world in recent years could lead to effective mHealth programs to reduce those inequities. To understand how this can best be accomplished, we analyze review studies of mHealth initiatives in developing countries and present our findings through a SWOT analysis. The strengths (improved health outcomes, improved treatment quality and adherence), weaknesses (difficult to scale, technical challenges), opportunities (improving equitable health access, enhancing disease control), and threats (mobile technology limitations, cultural variations) of mHealth initiatives in developing countries are discussed. Recommendations to improve mHealth initiatives in developing countries include empowering more women with leadership and technology skills, applying more theory to inform the development and evaluation of mHealth projects, and provisioning more financial support for those initiatives.

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Aug 10th, 12:00 AM

mHealth in Developing Countries: Progress Toward Global Health Equity

Global health equity is an elusive goal as developing countries lag behind the developed world in most health outcomes. The growth of mobile networks and mobile phone adoption across the developing world in recent years could lead to effective mHealth programs to reduce those inequities. To understand how this can best be accomplished, we analyze review studies of mHealth initiatives in developing countries and present our findings through a SWOT analysis. The strengths (improved health outcomes, improved treatment quality and adherence), weaknesses (difficult to scale, technical challenges), opportunities (improving equitable health access, enhancing disease control), and threats (mobile technology limitations, cultural variations) of mHealth initiatives in developing countries are discussed. Recommendations to improve mHealth initiatives in developing countries include empowering more women with leadership and technology skills, applying more theory to inform the development and evaluation of mHealth projects, and provisioning more financial support for those initiatives.

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