Mobile apps and devices offercost effective, rapidly deployable tools for rural community healthcare service delivery

'By building out an ecosystem of healthcare innovators we can support applications and devices that can help reduce the strain on doctors and nurses.'

– Vodacom Business chief officer Vuyani Jarana

Vodacom Business’ massive investment in innovative mobile health solutions to enhance healthcare for people living in the Eastern Cape.

As the first network to provide an array of mobile health solutions, Vodacom Business is scaling up the country and province’s capacity to provide primary healthcare at a more affordable rate to more citizens using mobile phones, apps and devices all powered by Vodacom‘s fixed and mobile infrastructure.

Speaking at the MEC’s Healthcare summit and excellence awards, Vodacom Business chief officer, Vuyani Jarana said, 'The use of technology by healthcare professionals is still fairly limited in the province. By building out an ecosystem of healthcare innovators we can support applications and devices that can help reduce the strain on doctors and nurses. We are giving them tools, not only to screen for health issue, but also the means to share data with other practitioners, to store the data from the screening and to build health records.'

Vodacom showcased some of the technology it has developed and further demonstrated the opportunity such tools present to contribute to the provinces’ efforts to improve access to affordable healthcare for people. One key project highlighted at the summit is the Sense4Baby solution for expectant mothers.

'As Vodacom there is a need to join the fight and improve maternal and child mortality rates in the province that stood at 148.3 deaths per 100 000 lives. In most cases, these deaths could have been prevented by efficient prenatal monitoring in cases of high risk pregnancies' added Jarana.