Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
arts and humanities
Can mobile phones help control neglected tropical diseases? Experiences from Tanzania
Social Science and Medicine, Volume 102, Year 2014
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
The 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. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Madon, Shirin
United Kingdom, London
London School of Economics and Political Science
United Kingdom, London
School of Business, Economics and Informatics
Amaguru, Jackline Olanya
United Kingdom, London
London School of Economics and Political Science
Haiti
Cbm-haiti
Malecela, Mwelecele Ntuli
Tanzania, Tanga
National Institute for Medical Research Tanga
Michael, Edwin
United States, Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
Statistics
Citations: 51
Authors: 4
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.036
ISSN:
02779536
e-ISSN:
18735347
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Design
Randomised Control Trial
Case Study
Study Approach
Qualitative
Study Locations
Tanzania