Insights

Interview with Hajo van Beijma, ICT Manager at Text To Change
(conducted by Barbara Kuepper, editor mHealth platform), September 2009


Q: What does mHealth mean for you?
A: mHealth for me is using current technologies in developing countries for health purposes instead of just person to person contact. Text to Change uses text messages to educate on health and HIV prevention matters and encourages people to get tested. We provide simple solutions for complex problems.

Q: Why education via mobile phones?
A: In Africa alone a million mobile phones are being added every week, the potential is enormous.  Even with current penetration rates a lot of people have access to a mobile phone via friends and family.

Q: How do you encourage health testing via the use of mobile telephones and text messaging?
A: Text to Change refers to test centers via our text message quizzes. Questions on testing are being answered with information on the nearest clinic and people can win airtime and other incentives if they leave their mobile phone number and refer to Text to Change at the clinic.

Q: What are the most important lessons that you have learned from your first mHealth education programme on HIV and AIDS in Uganda?
A: Health education is a still a non-technical field of work, even with using mobile phones as added value the line of work remains personal. Too much emphasis on the use of handsets, software, short codes and other technical solutions should never come before to the first focus: need for help, cultural details and person-to-person contact.

Q: In your opinion, in which direction will mHealth go in the next couple of years?
A: Governments in developing countries are going to adopt a mHealth strategy and more companies will embrace the mobile phone as an excellent way to educate their employees. With the arrival of more internet connectivity, mobile internet is going to play a bigger role and more content on mHealth is going to be created by NGOs.

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