This is a great story on the use of SMS to spread health awareness. The United Nations is launching “Texting4Health” in Uganda this week to reach 10,000 people.
“The UN is launching, on Wednesday the 1st of July 2009, a ten-day initiative intended to reach out to 10,000 people in Uganda through mobile phones to demonstrate the reach and potential use of mobile phones in health information and promotion. The initiative, “Texting4Health” will invite residents of Uganda’s second largest commercial city of Jinja to participate in a short health quiz using text messages. These messages are free to the consumer and are designed to serve a public health information campaign.”
The campaign will engage the Ugandans in a SMS quiz on health prevention and promotion; phone users will be able to “opt in” the campaign at no cost. Participating individuals will then receive confirmation of their responses. – Great stuff.