Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

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RapidSMS, Rwanda

last updated Sep 27, 2011

Overview

Implementing organization: 
UNICEF
Implementation Partner(s): 
The World Health Organization (WHO), Voxiva, TracPlus, and UNICEF Rwanda
Legal Status: 
Public-private partnership
Year Launched: 
2009
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
20-60% (lower to lower-middle)

Funding

Primary Source of Funding: 
Donor

Technology

Technology Used: 
Phones › SMS/MMS (Text Message)
Technology Partner(s): 
ThoughtWorks, Pivot Access

Scale

Personnel Employed: 
100<
Summary: 

The Rwandan RapidSMS application has been designed specifically to support maternal, neonatal and early child health at the community level and to save mothers and newborn lives.

Program goals/rationale: 

The programs intentions are to be a free and open-source framework for dynamic data collection, logistics coordination and communication. It should not just be a simple data reporting or alert tool, but rather it is designed to allow two-way flow of information through automated feedback loops, with robust data analysis and messaging sent back to end-users.

Key program components: 

In July 2009, the Rwandan Ministry of Health (MoH) requested UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) assistance designing a maternal and neonatal death alert and audit system using RapidSMS technology. The Rwanda RapidSMS application was designed specifically to support maternal, neonatal and early child health at the community level by introducing tools to help CHWs track pregnant women under their care. In addition, RapidSMS assists CHWs to monitor antenatal care, identify and refer women at risk, and improve communication with health facility and district level facilities in the case of emergencies. Through situation specific and monthly aggregated feedback loops, the system was also intended to help CHWs proactively identify and address reasons why women and young children die at the community level and suggest possible interventions.

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