French telecoms firm Orange and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have joined forces to develop innovations in mobile health (mHealth) at the Global mHealth Forum.
According to a statement the mHealth innovations are expected to help treat and care for individuals in developing countries across the African continent.
"With the increasing use and decreasing cost of mobile phones, leveraging mobile phone technology to accelerate access to health information and services is a game changer," said Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez, USAID's assistant administrator for Global Health.
"USAID's partnerships with private companies, such as Orange, enable us to have a larger impact in a cost-effective manner," Pablos-Méndez said in the statement.
The statement notes that future services will use integrated mHealth platforms and Orange mobile networks to communicate alerts and share resources around family planning and maternal health.
Healthcare workers will be able to use the technology to share medical expertise, collaborate with specialists regardless of location, and improve patient care. In addition, the public will be able to access health information via the mHealth platforms.
Niger and other countries are currently under exploration for the first phase of the mHealth innovations, the statement notes.
Thierry Zylberberg, director of Orange Healthcare said, "There is a tremendous amount of good that mobile technology and digital innovations can bring to improve the quality of healthcare to those less fortunate."
"Together with USAID, we are creating innovative mHealth platforms that open up the opportunities for remote patient monitoring or healthcare workers to make better-informed decisions and facilitate quality care for all citizens," Zylberberg said.
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