Health Degrees Boost Mobile phones

Beyond the controversy of the scientists on the dangers of radiation cell phones, communications equipment now in use 5 billion inhabitants of this world turned out to help improve the health of the population in poor and developing countries.

In Honduras, for example, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School initiated the use of mobile phones to help diabetics monitor diet, exercise, and medication adherence. As a result, there has been significant improvement in patients' blood sugar control a week after the program began.

Benefits of mobile phones also felt the population in rural areas that are difficult to access health clinics. It's no secret, though poor, the majority of the population has a mobile phone.


It is estimated that 60 percent of global population has a mobile phone. Therefore, health workers were asked exploit this condition to improve the health of patients.

Through mobile phones, health workers can provide education about disease prevention, collect data, or monitor the health of patients as is done in Honduras.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the doctors also now use mobile phones to reach out to mothers and check the status of maternal and child health. In the study reported in January 2011 was even mentioned, with the help of mobile phones, HIV positive mothers who successfully diedukasi to prevent transmission of the virus to their child.

In Kenya, people with HIV and AIDS patients routinely receive SMS on the importance of drug consumption. Thanks to these efforts, medication adherence increased and the development of virus can be suppressed.

In other countries now also carried out educational effort using SMS and mobile phones on the transmission of sexual diseases, safe sex, nutrition, and health in general.

Meanwhile, in developed countries like America, a team of researchers from Duke University conducted a clinical trial for two years about the use of mobile phones to send information about weight-loss program. As is known, the current American "war" against the pandemic of obesity.

The fact that mobile phones are also used by many teens do not escape the attention of health personnel. Doctors in the U.S. currently targeting adolescent boys in Philadelphia by sending an SMS about safe sex and prevention of HIV transmission.