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A program that sends daily text
message medication reminders to around 400 HIV patients in Kampala’s suburbs is
part of a broad effort to utilize mobile technology in Uganda’s fight against
AIDS.
Twice-daily antiretrovirals require
a minimum adherence rate of about 95 percent to be of greatest benefit to
HIV/AIDS patients. Samuel Guma, director of the Kawempe Home Care clinic
running the text reminder program, said participants’ adherence rose from 75
percent to over 90 percent. “We saw that because of the mobile messaging there
was a really tremendous improvement in adherence,” he said.
Bas Hoefman runs the Dutch
non-governmental organization Text to Change, which collaborated on the Kawempe
program. “There was a fatigue for people receiving the old messages via
traditional media - mobile phones are now so commonly used, especially among
the youth, that we realized it was time to repackage the information,” Hoefman
said.
In Uganda, mobile phones are used
for everyday tasks like paying bills and sending money to rural relatives.
Forty percent of the country’s population subscribe to a mobile phone service.
Text to Change has reached
approximately 1 million Ugandans with HIV messages, including those related to
medication, prevention, and testing. It has expanded to run more than 30
similar projects across Africa, including an effort promoting medical male
circumcision in neighboring Tanzania.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
