A cell phone is a powerful tool.
It is a modern Swiss Army knife equipped to perform many functions, from streaming live video to summoning directions to anywhere.
In a developing country such as Uganda, even the most basic cell phone serves an important role.
In Uganda, nearly every health facility worker already owns a mobile phone. By using existing technology to increase access and availability to information in the health sector, Sunnyvale native Sean Blaschke is working with UNICEF to improve efficiency in health care management.
The system uses mobile phones to track data, complaints and reports to help the government and other organizations respond more quickly and strategically to the needs of clinics and residents.
The hope is that the model being piloted in Uganda can be used in other parts of the world to help improve people’s lives.
This system–using RapidSMS technology already deployed in Uganda–captures and accelerates transmission of key information related to ACTs, the first line medicine in Uganda to treat malaria, and malaria itself. Malaria remains one of the most important diseases in Uganda in terms of morbidity, mortality and economic losses.
“I see UNICEF’s embracement of innovative technologies within our traditional programming as a huge opportunity to address long-standing development bottlenecks that have stunted economic growth through much of the developing world,” Blaschke said in an email.
Due to challenges in supply chain management and even theft, Uganda has regular shortages of medicine. By capturing real-time data throughout the cycle of care, conflicts can be immediately identified and addressed while accountability at all levels is increased.
As of September, mTrac has been rolled out in more than 2,000 health facilities, achieving a reduction in first-line malaria drug shortages from 33.2 percent to 20.1 percent in first-wave districts. There are 113 districts in Uganda.
“With the exploding growth of mobile phone ownership rates, we can now directly engage with and receive feedback from the actual communities that are recipients of our support,” Blaschke said.
“In real time, we can now identify exactly where medicine stock-outs are occurring, send critical information to all health workers in areas affected by epidemic diseases like Ebola as the outbreaks are happening, and use this data to ensure resources are properly being utilized by our government partners.”
Blaschke said the team is now looking at extending the work that it has been doing in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
“I hope to have the opportunity to continue to work with UNICEF on this,” he said.
Born and raised in Sunnyvale, Blaschke is a former Fremont High Firebird, part of the graduating class of 1997. He first connected with UNICEF during graduate school at Columbia University.
Upon earning his master’s degree in 2009, he was hired by UNICEF Innovations to support its mHealth programming.
In November 2009, he joined the UNICEF Uganda Country Office, to establish a supporting set-up of the Technology for Development Unit. Two years later, he shifted to the UNICEF Uganda ALIVE team as the health system’s strengthening coordinator.
Blaschke is the technical lead for e/mHealth at the Ministry of Health, represents UNICEF on the eHealth Technical Working Group, leads advisory efforts to create a national health information system strategy and supports efforts to develop national eHealth policy. He also oversees the national rollout of the mTrac initiative.
His work with UNICEF was featured in TIME Magazine last month.
To view the article, visit www.healthland.time.com/2012/08/15/disease-cant-hide.