Digital Health Information and Services in Rwanda

Digital Health Information and Services in Rwanda

The project will use simple mobile technology, accessible to over 78% of the population, to improve access to health information, and leverage the limited doctors and nurses to serve populations in the most impoverished and rural parts of Rwanda.

The services proposed will be available to callers that access the 845 service each month. As these callers are scattered throughout the country, an important part of ensuring each person reaps maximum value is making sure they have local facilities that work with digital healthcare to complete any treatment the patient seeks. The caller’s journey begins with the IVR service 845 which they can access toll free on the MTN service and access health information. People can access health information with their own phone by calling 845.

This project is entirely built upon the use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and a full service digital health platform with electronic medical records. The project will cover the development of specific messaging around digital health for the 845 platform, the direct costs of delivering consultations to those who would like to speak to a GP, as well as the costs of expanding Babyl’s facility integration to the remaining districts of Rwanda and then generating awareness through targeted campaigns in these districts.

The key groups: Young people above 16 years, women and the ministry of Health, a mobile network supporting the services.

Challenges to address

• The mobile network MTN decides to stop supporting the 845 service.
• The mobile network MTN decides to stop supporting the 845 service.
• Callers do not understand how to use the IVR menu and therefore do not select health information.
• Local and National government could retract support for Babylon and Viamo, which would significantly slow down the process of extension.
• Behaviour change proves more difficult than expected and the uptake of digital health moves much slower than planned.
• MoH does not extend Babyl’s license to cover for tropical disease.

Activities

Design and implement an IVR survey at baseline to assess knowledge of common health conditions and digital health among mobile phone users.

Design health advice on the most common health conditions in Rwanda.

Record health advisory in the style most attractive to listeners.

Pre-test health messages with members of the population.

Publish messages on the IVR service.

Enable alerts to Babyl call centre operators for callers who requested health information.

Carry out publicity drives through below the line marketing.

Monitor through IVR surveys. 2.1.1 Scale up Babyl services to provide callers to 845 with professional doctor’s consultations and treatment.

keep medical reports of patients

Continue to develop the artificial intelligence platform further especially for tropical diseases.

Extend its health center partnership coverage area from the 9 districts in which it currently operates, to all 30 districts of Rwanda, eliminating geography as a limiting factor to accessing high quality GP care via a mobile device.

Comprehensive awareness campaign nationwide to educate people on the use and availability of digital health, and how to access mobile health information