title: Can mobile phones help control neglected tropical diseases? Experiences from Tanzania.
abstract: The increasing proliferation of mobiles offers possibilities for improving health systems in developing countries. A case in point is Tanzania which has piloted a mobile phone-based Management Information System (MIS) for the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) where village health workers (VHWs) were given mobile phones with web-based software to test the feasibility of using frontline health workers to capture data at point of source. Based on qualitative case study research carried out in 2011, we found that providing mobile phones to VHWs has helped to increase the efficiency of routine work boosting the motivation and self-esteem of VHWs. However, despite these advantages, the information generated from the mobile phone-based NTD MIS has yet to be used to support decentralised decision-making. Even with improved technology and political will, the biggest hindrance to local usage of information for health planning is the lack of synthesised and analysed health information from the district and national levels to the villages. Without inculcating a culture of providing health information feedback to frontline workers and community organisations, the benefits of the intervention will be limited. If not addressed, this will mean that mobiles have maintained the one-way upward flow of information for NTD control and simply made reporting more hi-tech.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Intl. Development, London School of Economics & Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; Dept. of Management, London School of Economics & Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK. Electronic address: s.madon@lse.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madon
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics & Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; CBM - Haiti, 10 Rue Latortue, Delmas, 48, Port au Prince, Haiti.
authors.forename: Jackline Olanya
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Amaguru
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research, 2448, Ocean Road, P.O. Box 9653, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Mwele Ntuli
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Malecela
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369, USA.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Michael
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D063025:Health Information Management / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012984:Software; D013636:Tanzania; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Decentralisation; Health systems; M-health; Mobiles; Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs); Tanzania