Wireless Tech for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs

1. Wireless technology for Social Change:Trends in Mobile Use by NGO’s By: Lerato Makate

2. About the report • It was put together by the UN Foundation-Vodaphone Group Foundation Partnerships • Public private alliance using strategic technology programs to strengthen UN’s humanitarian efforts worldwide. • Partnership has 3 core commitments

3. Core Commitments of Partnership • Develop rapid response to telecommunications teams, aid in disaster relief • Develop health data systems to improve access to health data to combat diseases • Promote research innovative initiatives using technology as an agent and tool for international development

4. NGO’s usage of Mobile technology for social change • Survey conducted Dec 2007 a- Jan 2008 • 560 NGO workers participated in finding out how NGO’s use wireless technology to help various social courses • 86% NGO employees use mobile technology for their work • 99%of technology users characterise mobile technology as positive • Majority described it as revolutionary

5. Diverse use of mobile application by NGO’s • Most common use is; voice and text messages • 39% usage in other ways = photo’s &video’s • 28% data connect transfer • 27% multimedia messaging • 8% employees use technology for more sofisticated uses = data analysis • 10% mapping

6. Perceived Benefits of NGO mobile use • 95% Time saving, ability to quickly mobilize and organize individuals • 91% reaching audiences that were previously difficult or impossible to reach • 74% ability to transmit data, quickly and accurately • 67% ability to transmit data more quickly • 59% ability to gather data more quickly • 76% of NGO users said they would increase their uses in the future

7. Some facts • 3.5 billion phones available worldwide • This has changed how communities communicate • Report aims to see how NGO’s use mobile wireless technology for social purposes to help with some problems

8. Innovative uses driving change 3 specific areas were looked at: • 1. Health • 2. Environment and • 3. Humanitarian relief • There have been a number of creative, innovative uses • There is entrepreneurship within the development of mobile technology use for social change • Mobile pilot projects are giving introductory frameworks to replicate them on a larger scale

9. Global Health & media technology • 2007 Millenium Development Goals stated: • Number of people dying from HIV/AIDS increased by 2.9 million in 2006 preventative measures were failing • 2005 15 million children lost both parents to AIDS • 1 billion people live in extreme poverty, 75% in rural areas • Health conditions in rural areas are poor

10. Informa Telecoms research • 2007 mobile networks covered 90% global population • 2008 mobile phone penetration will reach 50% worldwide • With over 3 billion subscriptions (contracts)

11. Case study 1: Aftercare: South Africa • Created by Cell-Life NGO in Cape Town • To work with the public health system & workers to provide home based care for HIV/AIDS patients on ARV’s • Aftercare worker assigned 15-20 patients • Visits patients home, one-on-one discussions about treatment and patients life • Using mobile phone captures patients information • Relay information via sms to Cell-Life database • Where info is managed and collected making for accurate records and

12. Case Study 2: AED-Satelife: Uganda & Mozambique • AED(Academic Educational Development)-Satelife • Works through handheld computers to deliver medical information at points of caregiving – clinics • Delivers medical information on diseases, treatment guidelines, continuing education material • Nurses also receive national and international news • AED-Satelife has customised software to track patients and keep records electronically • Clinics required to send information to health ministries • Stream health data collected from remote areas • It was able to contain a typhoid fever outbreak • It was also introduced inMozambique • It was also popular as it kept nurses updated with local gossip news

13. Case Study 3: DataDyne: Kenya & Zambia • Established by Dr Selanikio public health doctor working at Centre for Disease Control & Prevention in the US. He was also an IT consultant for Wall Street before his work in health. • DataDyne.org is an non profit project dedicated to increasing access to public health data through mobile software solutions. • Inspired buy CDC project called EpiInfo that uses Epi Surveyor to access and modify and collect health data • 2006 DataDyne entered into a partnership with UN Foundation & Vodaphone Group and WHO and Kenya and Zambia health Ministries launched this project to the health system • Pilot project was Measles Initiative reducing Measles world wide

14. Case Study 3: SexInfo: USA • 2005 gonorrhea rates among african american youths of 18-25 had increased by 100% percent • Deborah Levine excecutive director: Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS-Inc.) wanted to help curb sexual diseases in youths. • Found that 85% youths had mobile phones and means of communication was texting. • SexInfo was then developed • 1st – informed community organizations to serve as advisors on the board of SexInfo

15. SexInfo Conti… • Focus groups held with youths on how they would prefer to receive sexual health information they needed. • ISIS-Inc conducted research that highlight FAQ’s about sexual health by youths • SexInfo was designed to provide this information to youth free and confidential • Youth oriented clinics and social services were also approached to reach the youth • To drive popularity, TV public service announcements were produced using rap musicians and also on BET and MTV and now can be found on YouTube

16. Some Challenges • Funds are an issue in broadening the scale of these pilot projects • Skills also need to be developed • Back-end computer infrastructure is needed in in most developing countries to allow for the accurate arrangement and access of the information • It is important to establish strategic partnerships for funding and skills to broaden the effect of these systems.

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