Stop TB By Using Interactive Mobile Communication

AMREF has traditionally carried out TB interventions in communities through drama and films. Recognising that Uganda has an overall teledensity of 41% and mobile network coverage of 90%, in 2012 the organisation partnered with Text to Change to use mobile technology to improve uptake of health care, encourage behavioural change, and increase medicine adherence.

Through radio campaigns, community members in the four districts were encouraged to voluntarily opt into the Text to Change mobile platform in order to receive TB related quiz questions and awareness messages in both Luganda (a local dialect) and English. A set of 20 questions and messages were sent to participants. At the end of the campaign, the SMS service sought to have seen more than 4000 people participating in the campaign from which an evaluation will be done via the call centre to assess impact. The most active participants were recognised and rewarded with prizes like airtime, mobile phones, and T-shirts through an AMREF TB outreach event in Wakiso.

Tubercolosis, Technology

AMREF is an international organisation with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. AMREF’s mission is to ensure that every African can enjoy the right to good health by helping to create vibrant networks of informed communities that work with empowered health care providers in strong health systems.

Text to Change (TTC) is a non-profit organisation using mobile telephony to promote awareness of humanitarian and health-related issues in Africa and South America; it operates in collaboration with non-governmental organisations, mobile network operators, and other partners in the public and private sector - in countries across the developing world.