A new mobile platform that links people living with HIV to vital healthcare services is to be piloted in Cote d’Ivoire. The mobile platform, Mobile Training EveryWhere (M-Tew), has been developed by Orange and is the result of a collaboration between UNAIDS and the telecommunications giant.
The pilot will take place over four months, enrolling 1,000 people living with HIV in the commercial capital, Abidjan, and will target those most affected by HIV, including 300 sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM).
The online platform will allow healthcare workers to communicate with patients via text messages, phone calls and voice recordings. The people enrolled in the programme will only need to have a basic mobile phone and 2G connection - no downloads or internet connection are needed.
The platform is being launched in a bid to improve patient retention and adherence to treatment, as well as break down stigma and discrimination. Data will also be collected and analysed to improve healthcare for people living with and affected by HIV. If successful, the pilot will be rolled-out across the city and nationally, as well as other countries in the region.
Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, stated that innovation in how we deliver HIV services is integral to achieving the Fast-Track targets.
“This partnership with Orange will allow countries to benefit from state-of-the-art technology that is cost-effective and simple to use, to ensure they can provide the highest quality of services for people living with and affected by HIV.”
Source: UNAIDS