Airtel Malawi and UNAIDS plan enabling people living with HIV and AIDS in the country to access and share information about their medication use via their mobile phones.

This is after the Malawian telecommunications company signed a memorandum of understanding with UNAIDS this week.

Airtel Malawi managing director, Heiko Schlittke, said the telco had availed a toll free number which will be used for information dissemination purposes.

He said mobile devices and applications "can be a profound tool for HIV and AIDS healthcare" information.

"This mobile phone application will escalate the power of mobile technology in a bid to help reverse the HIV and AIDS crisis in Malawi by reaching out as many infected people as possible," said Schittke.

The UNAIDS country director for Malawi, Amakobe Sande, said the new mobile based platform would enable those affected and infected with the virus to access information about supplies of medication as well as experiences at healthcare points across the country.