Additional file 1 A complete list of mHealth programs for all 48 sub-Saharan Africa countries between 2006 and 2016 from 8 data sources No Title Description Country Source† Start year 1 Africa Indoor Residual Spraying (AIRS) Abt developed a mobile app to improve environmental compliance by providing a phone-based checklist Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Zimbabwe Hopkins 2013 2 Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) PMI (Presidnet's Malaria Initiative) data collection, aggregation and reporting Angola, Benin, Burundi, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda Hopkins 2009 3 Accelerating the Reduction of Morbidity of and Mortality of Malaria (ARM3)'s iCCM mHealth Initiative An mHealth initiative designed to facilitate the reporting and exchange of information between Community Health Workers (CHWs) and health facilities Benin Hopkins 2013 4 CORE Group CommCare mHealth Collaborative The use of mobile technology by Community Health Workers (CHW) consisting of developing a family planning module that includes the use of images, audio and video clips for routine family planning counseling Benin Hopkins 2012 5 VaxTrac A computer/tablet-based vaccine management system that incorporates the needs of end users, including health workers and mothers, as well as providing a useful platform for the Benin Ministry of Health Benin WHO 2012 6 CommCare for Antenatal Care Services An easily customizable mHealth platform for health workers that tracks and supports their interactions with patients Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia USAID 2013
7 UBSOM mLearning Initiative mLearning Initiaitive at the University of Botswana involves mHealth with regard to the introduction of handheld tablet computers in medical education, bedside clinical practice and teaching Botswana Hopkins 2012 8 Africa Teledermatology Project Long distance consultation to provide dermatology support to local physicians, dermatologists, and health care workers in hospitals and clinics using computers, medical devices and mobile phones Botswana, Burkina Faso, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda WHO 2007 9 Peek Vision The portable eye examination kit consists of a mobile app and clip-on hardware Botswana, Kenya, Mali WHO 2013 10 Daktari CD4 Providing a CD4 cell counting system that is portable and robust enough to be used anywhere, from a doctor’s office to the most remote settings Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda CHMI 2014 11 Airtel Insurance with MicroEnsure Sustainable health microinsurance at scale (Airtel rewards loyal customers who spent a minimum airtime with free insurance) Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Niger, Zambia, USAID 2014 12 Human Network International (HNI) Provide organizations and individuals the opportunity to use ICT for health purposes including HIV, Malaria, Family planning, Maternal and child health, etc. Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia Hopkins 2011 13 Burundi Public Health Laboratory Networking Project Operational research and knowledge sharing activities including use of mobile phone technologies for surveillance reporting of endemic diseases Burundi World Bank 2012 14 ExTBCam An open-source solution for tuberculosis laboratory data management where data will primarily be entered via laptops Cameroon Hopkins 2012 15 Population Services International (PSI) A mobile phone based data transmission system Cameroon Hopkins 2012 16 Medic Mobile Text messages enable real-time communication between community health workers (CHWs) and their supervisors Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda CHMI 2009
17 SMS for Life Track weekly stock levels for essential malaria medicines at public health facilities by mobile phones, SMS messages, the Internet and electronic mapping technology Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania WHO 2010 18 Hang-up and Track Increasing bednet distribution accountability and usage in households through mobile data collection Democratic Republic of the Congo USAID 2014 19 President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Expansion Project in DRC The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Expansion Project integrated mobile technology including SMS, web forms, basic handsets and smartphones Democratic Republic of the Congo Hopkins 2013 20 FioNet Mobile diagnostics for rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) integrated with cloud information services Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Sierra Leone USAID 2012 21 Healthy Entrepreneurs Applications on the tablet are used for providing health awareness, stock management and data collection Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda CHMI 2011 22 Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC ) Using SMS to support health worker learning/performance Ethiopia Hopkins 2012 23 Enat Messenger for Maternal Health in Ethiopia Text-based confirmation and transmission services via an automated message manager for health extension workers (HEW) Ethiopia USAID 2011 24 Ethiopia Health Extension Program Simple feature phones are used by Health Extension Workers (HEWs) to communicate data into a central operations center using voice. Smartphones over GPRS are also used Ethiopia Hopkins 2012 25 Ethiopia mHealth Project A scalable and comprehensive mHealth platform, with an initial focus on the work flows of HEWs in rural communities by Health Extension Program (HEP) of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Ethiopia Hopkins 2012
109 M-Vaccine Sends reminder SMS (text) messages to parents when it's time for their children to be vaccinated Kenya CHMI 2012 110 National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) NHIF partnered with Safaricom limited to launch a mobile money platform in its efforts to expand health insurance Kenya CHMI 2010 111 Penda Health Text patients to make sure they're taking their drugs at the right times and in the right way Kenya CHMI 2012 112 SANA: Open Source Telemedicine A reliable tool that allows health workers to transmit any medical file, whether text notes or even information rich x-rays, through a cell phone Kenya CHMI 2009 113 The Mobile Health Research Lab: Mobile Wallet Investigating how mobile money can be used to pre-pay for healthcare Kenya USAID 2010 114 TIBU Data is collected electronically with mobile computer tablets and uploaded into the central database Kenya CHMI 2012 115 Totohealth Social enterprise in Kenya revolutionizing maternal and child health industry by mobile technology platforms to allow parents and caregivers to monitor the development of their child using the electronic set of Totohealth’s disability indicators Kenya CHMI 2014 116 Using mobile phones to support neonatal resuscitation training in Africa (mHBB) Helping Babies BreatheR (HBB) training is a simple, inexpensive, evidence-based and skills-focused program specifically designed to teach neonatal resuscitation and reduce neonatal mortality in resource-limited areas via web or mobile Kenya Hopkins 2013 117 Viva Afya (formerly Carego Livewell) Uses of two main types of technology, an electronic medical record system (EMR system) and an Early Detection and Prevention System (EDPS) accessible by mobile phone Kenya CHMI 2009 118 World Health Partners (WHP) Providers connect their patients using mobile phones and refer to the catchment facility Kenya CHMI 2008
137 Sense Ebola Follow Up A mobile and internet based contact tracing system used to facilitate data collection and perform real reporting and GPS tracking Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone Hopkins 2014 138 BlueStar Madagascar A new integrated SMS System, which facilitates voucher verification and payment Madagascar CHMI 2010 139 Mobile Finance to Reimburse Sexual and Reproductive Vouchers Each social franchisee receives 7,500 Ariary (US$3.70) for any contraceptive method and counseling or referral they provide to clients in possession of a subsidized voucher Madagascar USAID 2010 140 Using Mobile Finance to Reimburse Sexual and Reproductive Health Vouchers in Madagascar Providing family planning counseling by distributing the vouchers to eligible clients. It uses mobile phone-based short message service (SMS) money transfer systems to reimburse service providers Madagascar Hopkins 2010 141 Action Meningitis Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) to triage children when they reach the hospital Malawi WHO 2012 142 Child Status Index (CSI) Mobile App Stand-alone application for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) committee secretaries to enter information on the wellbing of vulnerable children Malawi USAID 2010 143 Chipatala cha pa Foni or Health Center by Phone A combined hotline and mobile message service to increase access to timely and appropriate maternal, neonatal and child health information, advice and care Malawi WHO 2011 144 Christian Aid Scotland (Enhanced Community-Based Maternal, Neonatal and Child Care in Karonga District) Providing mobile telephones to link communities to their nearest health facilities Malawi DFID 2013 145 Community IMCI (cIMCI) Mobile data service for health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in registering sick children, listening to their complaints, performing an examination, delivering diagnosis, and administering treatment Malawi USAID 2010
146 cStock Supply Chains for Community Case Management Using mobile technology to increase community access to medicines Malawi USAID 2011 147 Hotline by Malawi MOH Hotline for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, mobile phone tips and reminder service Malawi Hopkins 2013 148 mHealth for Integrated Community Case Management Improving the quality of child health care at the primary level through integrated decision-support tools Malawi USAID 2012 149 Organization For Sustainable Socio-Economic Development Initiative (OSSED MALAWI) Nutritional, maternal and child health, poor governance systems, drug monitoirng via mobile phone Malawi Hopkins 2010 150 Save the Children District supervisors report summarized data to the national level via sms forms Malawi Hopkins 2012 151 Tackling malnutrition of women and children in Africa and Asia Mobile services for Agriculture and Health with a particular focus on nutrition in collaboration with private sector, government and civil society Malawi DFID 2014 152 The Malawi K4Health Mobile Learning Pilot A distance program for community-based health workersto provide up-to-date information in a more efficient manner Malawi USAID 2009 153 Association Pesinet Data entry via mobile phone application to reduce child mortality Mali Hopkins 2009 154 Djantoli Leverages simple mobile technologies as well as community agents to enable remote monitoring by the local doctor Mali CHMI 2008 155 Mamans Mobiles contre le Malaria au Mali (MAMMA) Mobile phones and an app to collect and share data between Community Health Worker’s (CHWs) and health centres Mali WHO 2011 156 Monitoring Malaria Trends in Mali Using Cell Phones MEASURE Evaluation developed a system where malaria-related statistics and information can be accessed via entering a code into their cell phones Mali Hopkins 2012 157 o Mobile fleet for health ANTIM (National E-Health Agency of Mali) supports mHealth applications and reaches the most remote and the least accessible zones Mali Hopkins 2010
158 Ma Sante Mobile data collection on malaria and child health indicators Mali, Senegal USAID 2011 159 Grand Challenge Exploration Phase 1 Project Community health workers using mobile phones to improve maternal, newborn and child health outcomes Mozambique USAID 2010 160 Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative Planning and resource allocation through improved collection, transmission, analysis and management of public health data Mozambique Hopkins 2006 161 Maternity Centres of Excellence (MCE) Project activities include establishing mobile phone networks so that smaller peripheral health facilities can communicate easily with each Centre of Excellence Mozambique CIDA 2014 162 mCenas! SMS client education to improve family planning uptake among youth Mozambique WHO 2013 163 mHealth System Strengthening Linking up the work of community health workers in rural areas with the national health information system through mobile phone technology Mozambique DFID 2015 164 MHIN (Mozambique Health Information Network) Electronic epidemiological surveillance system provides a set of tools for gathering, reporting, storing, analyzing, and alerting epidemic prone diseases at district, province and national level Mozambique Hopkins 2006 165 Movercado Social marketing of public health commodities using basic SMS technology Mozambique Hopkins 2012 166 Reliefwatch A cloud based medical supply and disease tracking platform that uses automated voice calls and simple mobile phones Mozambique CHMI 2013 167 SMSaude A randomised control trial demonstrating the effectiveness of SMS messaging on adherence to HIV care and treatment Mozambique Hopkins 2011 168 USAID DELIVER Project Providing basic smartphones and training to quickly translate hard copy drug consumption data from bubble forms into soft copy data Mozambique Hopkins 2012
207 IVR mLearning Platform in Senegal Delivering refresher trainings to health care providers by a combination of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and SMS Senegal USAID 2013 208 SEDA Automated Health Data Exchange System Applying mHealth to improve data monitoring Senegal USAID 2011 209 Ebola IVR mLearning Course for Health Workers An Ebola interactive voice response (IVR) course Sierra Leone WHO 2014 210 iPhones for Malaria Indicator Survey For the purposes of the household schedule and to facilitate data entry at the time of the interview on malaria, all household names, village, district and GPS location were recorded into the iPhones Sierra Leone USAID 2013 211 mHealth Sierra Leone Improving maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), through the development and deployment of mobile data capture solutions Sierra Leone DFID 2011 212 Danish Refugee Council mHealth project Enables citizens standing at a health post in a remote and difficult accessible area to send an SMS short code indicating a need for help Somalia CHMI 2014 213 Mobile phone PH application in Somalia A mobile phone based health promotion application Somalia DFID 2011 214 Bettercare (Mhealth training for Nurses and Midwives) To make accessable their e-learning material across multiple platforms (computer, PDA/tablet, phones) to every nurse and health care practitioner in under-resourced settings South Africa CHMI 2007 215 FoneAstra Cell phone technology to accurately monitor and validate milk temperatures during flash-heating to pasteurize breast milk for human milk banks South Africa WHO 2011 216 Hello Doctor Users receive personal advice from a doctor via website, mobile app,radio, and television, and a call center of registered doctors South Africa CHMI 2007 217 JustTested (SMS-Based Support and Information for HIV Testing and Counseling Clients) SMSs were developed in line with the Health Belief Model for HIV testing and counseling South Africa USAID 2012
227 SIMpill® Medication Adherences Solution A medication management system that monitors the patient’s medication intake and will remind the patient in real time South Africa USAID 2006 228 Teen SMS Helpline to Stop Suicide Allows teens in need of mental heath advice to reach South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) via SMS South Africa CHMI 2006 229 txtAlert for Patient Reminders txtAlert works with hospital and clinic medical record system (MRS) to remind patients of upcoming appointments South Africa USAID 2007 230 Vula Eye Health App An app to improve eye care in rural areas by enabling healthcare worker to use mobile technology to diagnose eye conditions South Africa CHMI 2013 231 Population Services International (PSI) SMS messages are sent to clients’ mobile phones to remind them of follow-up visits for post-operative review South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe Hopkins 2014 232 Child Profiling Survey Mobile data collection technologies using Mobenzi platform for use in a child profiling exercise of 10,244 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) Swaziland USAID 2013 233 Jhpiego-PSI- Combination Prevention Program in the Kingdom of Swaziland Use of mobile phones for client referrals for clients who test HIV positive Swaziland Hopkins 2011 234 Rapid and Effective Action Combating HIV/AIDS The survey of children to determine the most vulnerable using Mobenzi, a mobile phone service Swaziland WHO 2013 235 Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlet Improving regulatory capacity to enhance pharmaceutical product and service quality Tanzania USAID 2012 236 Afya Mtandao AfyaMtandao promotes the use of ICT in the health sector, by providing a knowledge sharing platform for health workers, raising awareness on ICT for Health, and by providing ICT support services for health institutions Tanzania CHMI 2008
247 mHealth for Community-Based Family Planning Services Using a mobile application to guide community health workers to provide high-quality family planning services Tanzania USAID 2014 248 mHealth for Safe Deliveries in Zanzibar A mobile phone-based clinical algorithm that takes traditional birth attendants (TBAs) step by step through a screening process to identify pregnant women who are high risk or have any danger signs during pregnancy and labor Tanzania USAID 2011 249 mHealth for Safe Deliveries: Ezy Pesa mobile banking service Mobile application for identifying danger signs during labor and delivery, the phone number of vehicle owners who can transport the patient on an emergency basis, access to money on the phone to pay the vehicle owner for transportation, a record of permissions needed from the family or local decision makers to transport mother and infant in case of emergency, and the ability to contact the referral facility Tanzania USAID 2011 250 mHealth for Safer Deliveries An integrated intervention to improve the quality of care during delivery Tanzania USAID 2011 251 Mobile Job Aids for Community Health Workers Adaptation of an evidence-based FP counseling and screening job aid for use on mobile phones by community health workers as part of an existing HIV home-based care program Tanzania Hopkins 2013 252 Mobile Phone Microscopy for the diagnosis of Parasitic Worm Infections Mobile phone microscope to detect the presence or absence of helminth eggs Tanzania USAID 2012 253 MobyApp Strengthening maternal and newborn health via automated short message service (SMS) reminders to clients, reminding them of upcoming appointments, missed appointments, and approaching delivery dates Tanzania USAID 2013 254 Mothers and Infants, Safe, Healthy, and Alive (MAISHA) Mobile phone-based tool for service providers to use with pregnant clients Tanzania USAID 2011
274 Health Child Audiovisual and mobile-supported content that can be used to inform pregnant women and mothers on maternal and child health issues supported by International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) Uganda WHO 2007 275 iHRIS and Mobile Reference Dictionary Allows the public to verify that a clinic and/or a medical professional is registered and licensed to practice by sending an SMS message with the doctor’s or clinic’s name to a widely publicized shortcode Uganda USAID 2007 276 Improving handwashing practices through SMS Text to Change (TTC) partnered with USAID through STRIDES for Family Health and Unilever Uganda to promote healthy communities through a Global Hand Washing Day celebration Uganda Hopkins 2011 277 JHU∙CCP SMS program for HIV prevention, family planning etc. Uganda Hopkins 2009 278 Living Goods Mobile messages to deliver targeted health messages, mobile platform for data collection Uganda Hopkins 2012 279 Mama Rescue Mothers use mobile-phone based vouchers to get transportation either from home to health center, or from health center to hospital Uganda CHMI 2014 280 MarieTXT A mobile powered management information system where data is fed into system through SMS and voucher service Uganda USAID 2012 281 mHealth for ttC(timed and targeted Counselling) A Radio Distance learning Approach for continuous learning as well as disseminate desired messages to care givers of children of 0-24 months using mobile phones Uganda Hopkins 2013 282 MIRA Channel Women's Lifeline Channel for RMNCH+A An integrated mobile phone channel to provide health information to rural women and connect them with public health services Uganda Hopkins 2012 283 Mobile 4 Water Baseline and inspection information collection for water and sanitation Uganda WHO 2011
284 Mobile Phones for Improved Access to Safe Water (M4W) Strengthening monitoring and evaluation of water, sanitation and hygiene via mobile phone Uganda USAID 2011 285 Mobiles for Quality Improvement (m4QI) – SHOPS Project Technology-supported approach to performance improvement including processes for identifying performance gaps in adherence to clinical protocols, a platform to manage and automate the delivery and receipt of text message reminders and quizzes to address the gaps, etc. Uganda USAID 2010 286 mTrac Real-time monitoring of disease prevalence, medicine stock-outs and health service delivery complaints Uganda WHO 2012 287 mTRAC Stop Malaria Program (SMP) MOH’s mTRAC system uses SMS technology to track stock levels of essential malaria medicines at health facilities Uganda USAID 2011 288 Reduction of Maternal Mortality Through ICT Combating maternal and child mortality with text messages Uganda USAID 2011 289 Safe Mothers, Safe Babies An educated public, trained in emergency recognition with cell phone based dispatch system Uganda CHMI 2009 290 SMS adherence program for HIV treatment SMS adherence program, set up by Text to Change (TTC), USAID and Kawempe Home Care Initiative to improve adequate knowledge on HIV treatment and take up of services by sending SMS reminders Uganda Hopkins 2011 291 SMS and IVR to Improve Family Planning Services Through the use of SMS and IVR, the project aims to provide general information on family planning Uganda USAID 2011 292 SMS quiz for awareness on Malaria & HIV/AIDS SMS quizzes and messages are used to improve the uptake of health services of Hope Clinic Lukuli and to improve the knowledge of Hope Clinic Lukuli clients and potential clients Uganda Hopkins 2010 293 STRIDES- Strides for Family Health Mobile technology for health education and behavior change, data management Uganda Hopkins 2009
302 ColaLife ColaLife is a non-profit working with Coca-Cola to supply their Kit Yamoyo which contains crucial ‘social products’ – such as oral rehydration salts, high-dose vitamin A, water purification tablets – to save children’s lives. The scheme uses vouchers, to ensure affordability, and mobile phones for tracking and authentication Zambia CHMI 2008 303 Community Led Total Sanitation Mobile Surveillance Community Champions (CCs) submit village-level water and sanitation data via mobile phone Zambia USAID 2013 304 Malaria Community Surveillance For Elimination A means to sensitively detect malaria infections through community health worker networks and report malaria data by mobile phone, known as a reactive case detection (RCD) protocol Zambia WHO 2012 305 Malaria Control Program (MACEPA) Staff at the clinics report weekly on small carefully chosen data sets that includes the number of tests done, number of positive tests, number of people given malaria treatment and stock information Zambia USAID 2011 306 mSpray An Indoor Residual Spray mapping, monitoring and feedback tool for malaria control Zambia USAID 2011 307 POC-IT National clinical guidelines on HIV/AIDS formatted for offline access on smartphones Zambia Hopkins 2008 308 Project Mwana (SMS for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV) Using RapidSMS, a free, open-source programming framework to build SMS-based applications, two apps were developed: ‘Results160’ and ‘RemindMi’ Zambia USAID 2010 309 Zambia Prevention Care and Treatment Partnership (ZPTP) II To strengthen enrolment and improve patient retention in both pediatric and adult HIV care by calling back clients for results and missed appointments vis SMS Zambia Hopkins 2011