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Issue 33, May 2008
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Welcome to the readers of HIV@MSD, the newsletter from the MSD Interpharma HIV Team
When the first shopping centers opened in India, customers were requested to show a credit card at the entrance of the mall, as a token of purchasing potential, and in order to prevent indigents from squatting in the premises. Credit cards proved to be too uncommon, and were soon replaced by cellular phones. Cell phone users were in sufficient number and were judged wealthy enough to buy other consumer goods. These days are long gone and the phone industry has never been so prosperous.
With a total of 100 million mobile phone subscribers mid 2006, India is now one of the leading markets of mobile phones in emerging countries like China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Algeria, Nigeria and South Africa.
The widespread implications of cell phones in various sectors have turned a luxury good into an indispensable item of our daily life.
In the health sector, "The Phones for Health Initiative (PHI)", is a public- private partnership using mobile phone technology to communicate on HIV/AIDS care and treatment within healthcare professionals' networks in PEPFAR-supported countries.
"TRACNET", one of PHI implementations has enabled Rwanda health authorities to get accurate and detailed statistics on HIV/AIDS, at national level, over the last four years.
Mobile phones are not only valuable patient-tracking tools, they can also be used to educate lay people on HIV/AIDS and promote behavioral changes.
"TEXT TO CHANGE", a Netherlands-based non governmental organization, whose concept is "Don't guess the answers, learn the truth about AIDS" recently ventured onto this educational mission. Their initiative, based on an interactive and rewarding program using mobile text messages, was launched on February 14, 2008 in Uganda. "Spread the message stop the virus" is their motto for millions of people in Africa and around the world. To know more about Text to Change's pilot project, Click here...
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Lettre d'information HIV@MSD en français