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Fighting Avian Flu with Mobile Phones in Indonesia

From Shareideas

Voxiva's Healthwatch™ solution is being used in Indonesia to transmit data related to suspected cases of Avian Flu among birds from the field to health officials via mobile communications.

1 Story
2 How they did it:
3 Technology used:
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Story

More than 150 agricultural workers in three Indonesian provinces are being trained to use mobile phones to document suspected cases of Avian Flu among birds. The H5N1 virus is a major health concern in the country, which has led to the deaths of more than 70 people. In the past, it could take weeks or even months for Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture to receive vital information about suspected outbreaks and take appropriate action, for example, halting or redirecting bird shipments.

Now, vital data will be transmitted – instantly – via mobile phone software to central health authorities who are able to pinpoint suspected cases and respond and offer feedback. The approach leverages Indonesia’s cellular network, which covers over 90 percent of the nation’s 220 million population.

The initiative is being made possible through Voxiva’s HealthWatch™ solution, designed to monitor and manage infectious disease. Voxiva, which has operations in Asia, Africa, South America, and the United States, provides practical information solutions to health, government, and development organizations around the world.

The Indonesian program is being funded with support from Microsoft, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Winrock International, and the GSM Association, a trade group representing cell phone service providers and manufacturers. Voxiva has worked with governments in Peru and Rwanda to create similar cell phone systems that enable healthcare workers to report outbreaks.

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How they did it:

The software used is written in Java programming language and so it can run on any compatible mobile phone. It enables workers in the field to input data and information, which is then transferred via a packet based mobile connection (GPRS) into a central database. If GPRS isn’t available, the software is equipped with the ability to use SMS as a back up channel to transmit the information. Users are then able to send and receive alerts and in a future release will be able to download documents, training materials, and other information.

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