3.3. Community-based
outreach
and
engagement
Mobile devices can be used to provide automated point-of-care support for public healthcare workers in the field. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, mSakhi is a mobile application used by health workers in India to aid with delivering maternal and newborn health educational materials on mobile phones (mSakhi,
2013).
Using a mobile device, healthcare workers display images of warning signs and symptoms to expecting mothers in the community.
The language used in the program is relevant to the target population’s local dialect. Having the program on a mobile phone reduces the need for printing and distribution services, which are often limited in rural areas. It is also much easier for health workers to transport a single mobile device than to carry extensive printed materials.