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Cellphones the latest tool in Africa's fight against HIV

SUSAN NJANJI | LAGOS, NIGERIA - Mar 08 2010 12:53

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Cellphones may become a key weapon in the war against HIV/Aids in Africa, allowing counsellors to reach greater numbers of people, says the chief of the United Nation's Aids agency.

The relatively new technology has a role to play in a continent plagued by inadequate health centres and dilapidated infrastructure, said Michel Sidibe, the executive director of UNAids.

"You can talk about different policies, about capacity building, but you can't beat this kind of epidemic with facility-based approach only," he added.

A major cellphone operator in Nigeria already runs a toll-free call scheme that links callers to counsellors on HIV/Aids concerns.

"It's a fascinating initiative," said Sidibe.

"Its advantage is that you don't have to move from your place to a centre where ... you may be stigmatised.

"You have free communication and quality advice, which can help you take a decision."

With basic intensive training and armed with cellphones, local community or village workers could be a part of the health service delivery system, he said.

Despite the resources poured into Sub-Saharan Africa for years to combat HIV/Aids, the region remains the world's most heavily affected, accounting for 67% of HIV infections, according to UNAIDS figures.

CONTINUES BELOW

"You need first to look at a community-based approach, tap on non-conventional facilities," Sidibe told Agence-France Presse during a recent trip to Nigeria.

It is time that Africa, saddled with a myriad of economic, political and social woes, got back to basics, he argued.

"I don't think in any of our African countries we will be able to wait to have professionals, or to have enough of those people."

"It is time to reinforce our capacity to use the modern technology differently," he said.

Africa, which despite widespread poverty has a relatively large numbers of cellphone users, should take advantage of the digital revolution to reach out widely, he said.

"It's something we need to start replicating in Africa, remember we have more cellphones in African than in north America," he added.

Nigeria has more than 70-million cellphone subscribers: about one in every two people.

A pilot project using cellphones is under way in the Nigeria's northern Kaduna State and southwestern Ondo State.

Village workers -- who have barely been through secondary school -- have been trained to identify symptoms of minor ailments.

They tour villages examining patients and use their cellphones to call up trained medical workers at a major referral centre to get a diagnosis and prescription dictated over the phone.

"Community health workers go out with a cellphone connected to a central referral hospital, can take temperatures ... and doctors at the referral units advise on drugs to administer," said Sidibe.

"Using all these types of approaches can help us improve information systems and expand delivery by reaching the poor in the community," he said.

Despite prevention measures, which he said had helped avert 400 000 new infections in the past eight years on the continent, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of new infections in 2008.

Most of those infected were sex workers, drug users and homosexual males.

About three million Nigerians, or just under five percent of Africa's most populous nation are infected with HIV.

Sidibe said he visited Nigeria and South Africa because the two economic giants account for more than 50% of all HIV cases in Africa. -- Sapa-AFP

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Good luck Nigeria...

How do they measure averted infections? That's measuring what did not happen; reminds me of the cliché “Lies, damned lies and statistics”

Paul Aarden on March 8, 2010, 11:01 pm

@ Paul Aarden - "Despite prevention measures, which he said had helped avert 400 000 new infections in the past eight years on the continent, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of new infections in 2008."
Do I hear a hint of 'marketing lingo' in this statement, to 'sell' the sub-Sahara region as an HIV/AIDS hot-spot where every kind of entrepreneur, big or small, is bound to make big bucks? My point again...please don't question these statistics lest you be labelled as a 'denialist' as well.

Mack Nyati on March 9, 2010, 2:04 pm

It's a great idea , very convinient if you have the luxary of a cellphone which the majority of infected people and statisticaly high risked people dont.

zibusisozethu sithole on March 9, 2010, 5:26 pm

@ Zibu, this is actually a briliant idea. From my work experience in urban and peri urban areas, a substantial amount of those infected (which are mostly those who are affected by povery) do ACTUALLY have cellphones.

the truth on March 11, 2010, 9:02 am

@the truth , I'm not disputing your stats , you're probably right , strange world we live in . People can't afford to feed themselves but can afford all sorts of gadgets . I support any concept that would help , education is the way.

zibusisozethu sithole on March 11, 2010, 11:21 am

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the lion's share of infections globally. Until we change patriarchal cultural practices (e.g. dry sex, forced sex, multiple partners, sugar daddies), we won't stop the spread of the virus.

And cell phones won't halt the spread. They'll exacerbate it, giving more people access to sexting (sex messages sent via sms), phone porn, etc.

I heard the same b u l l s h i t promised a few years ago about how cell phones would liberate African subsistence farmers from poverty. How cell phones would hook them into global markets, and let them sell their 2 eggs and 1 goat on London's stock exchange. Well, I've certainly seen subsistence farmers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and in Ruhengeri in Rwanda with cell phones but I haven't yet seen a rich subsistence farmer yet.

Kery Day on March 12, 2010, 11:58 am