For many healthcare providers, m-health is providing new ways of managing and delivering healthcare. According to Deloitte, a professional services company, m-health is helping to empower patients and practitioners. For example, people can research their symptoms or share their experiences with others to help identify treatment solutions.
With a growing digital landscape and mobile penetration rate that is set to continue, industry experts have indicated that Tanzania is well placed to reap the benefits of m-health initiatives.
For example, m-health can provide patients with a way of researching their ailments and – in some cases – remove the need for people to attend a physical consultation. Elsewhere, SMS services have also played a key role in disseminating health and nutritional tips for mothers and their newborn babies.
Despite the value that these services can provide, it is important to remember the important role that telecom operators play in the promotion of m-health services in the country. As well as providing the ICT infrastructure to support these services, telecom providers have also played a role in creating their very health-related solutions for their customers.
Tigo Tanzania, one of the country’s main operators, provides its customers with a range of hospital, accident and life insurance policies. Services such as these illustrate how the company has gone the extra mile to support their customers.
In addition, Tigo’s birth registration service provides parents with a fast and effective way of registering their child’s birth through their mobile device. This is a crucial service, as having a birth certificate is critical for accessing state provisions such as education, healthcare and financial support.
While changes to the digital world are set to continue, it is reassuring to know that Tanzania’s telecom operators are here to support us all.
Amani Mayala,
UDSM CBS.
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