“Want to come? Using SMS to advertise community health events in Mozambique
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Marion
McNabb
Pathfinder International
, MA, Boston, Middlesex County
, XX, 6 districts in 2 provinces
More than 5 years
We have received a number of awards and global recognition in Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health arenas.
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Operating for more than 5 years
Access to health care.
We are proposing this innovation as a new intervention to support awareness raising of our current programs implemented in Mozambique. We plan to have a large impact that will be scalable within the country and provide international evidence of the successes and challenges we face implementing this program.
Over the next two years, approximately 12,000 women in six districts in two provinces of Mozambique (Montepuez, Chiúre, and Ancuabe districts of Cabo Delgado, and the Nampula, Ribaue, and Memba districts of Nampula) will be notified of at least one community health event relevant to their needs, either via direct SMS or through a community stakeholder who received an SMS. Examples include notifications for immunization days, mobile clinic visits, and local HIV counseling and testing opportunities. Notifying women of these events will increase their attendance, improve their health outcomes, and maximize the resources invested in community healthcare outreach.
At six months, focus group discussions with community leaders, community health committees, community health workers, and women
Select the three major types of community health events and design culturally appropriate messages
Sensitize community leaders, members of community health committees, and community health workers and collect their phone number
Select a Bulk SMS provider and negotiate with two mobile phone carriers for delivery of SMS messages.
12,000 women in six districts of Mozambique will be notified of at least one community health event relevant to their needs, eit
Work with community leaders and other health stakeholders to advertise the service and collect phone numbers on a rotating basis
Coordinate with other partners offering community level events to have their programs also advertised and negotiate cost-sharing
Assign a staff member to develop a registry of women enrolled by message type and send out the SMS messages on a rotating basis
This innovation will be implemented in two projects funded by USAID in Mozambique. The projects include a wide range of multisectoral partners, including non-governmental organizations and government partners.