Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

mDiabetes - Arogya World's Diabetes Prevention SMS Program

last updated Apr 18, 2013

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Arogya World
Implementation Partner(s): 
Nokia, Emory University, Aetna, Johnson & Johnson, Biocon, Ipsos
Legal Status: 
Private (not-for-profit)
Year Launched: 
2011
Stage: 
Pilot/startup stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
All income levels

Technology

Technology Used: 
Phones › SMS/MMS (Text Message)
Technology Purpose: 
Facilitating Patient Communications › General Health Education
Summary: 

Arogya World’s mDiabetes is a diabetes prevention mobile health (mHealth) initiative, being implemented in association with Nokia, which is reaching one million consumers in rural and urban India, and is educating them about diabetes and its prevention through text messages, twice a week, in 12 languages. All 1 million consumers have been enrolled in the program and 33 million text messages sent so far. This program is a 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Commitment from Arogya World.

Program goals/rationale: 

50 million Indians live with the disease and 1 million die from it every year. Fortunately, there is compelling clinical proof that diabetes is largely preventable – 80% of diabetes cases can be prevented, for example by avoiding tobacco, increasing physical activity, and improving diets. Arogya World is committed to this prevention through lifestyle changes in India, and is leveraging mHealth through text messaging as a solution to the diabetes crisis.

Key program components: 

Arogya World is providing free mDiabetes content for six months to Nokia Life customers in India who opt-in.

Nokia Life is a Nokia phone application designed to address information gaps so that consumers in emerging societies can be better informed and improve their livelihood, with targeted services for Healthcare, Agriculture, Entertainment and Education. mDiabetes program implementation began in January 2012 and all 1 million consumers have been enrolled in the program through 2012. To date 33 million messages have been sent ie the program has achieved 33 million consumer-touch points. Some 70,000 consumers have completed the 6 month program.

Arogya World puts much emphasis on measurement and evaluation. Consumer testing of messages, and analysis of feedback from 750 consumers, has been completed in the first phase of evaluation research – results are encouraging and reveal that messages were found to be clear, and useful and compelling to a large extent by consumers. Effectiveness evaluation of the mDiabetes program is in progress.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

See 1 min video - mDiabetes Project

Read this article on CNN.com - Diabetes: How cellphones help tackle India's ticking time bomb

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