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mHealth to Save 147,000 Nigerians
Mobile health (mHealth) applications such as text messages could save 147,000 Nigerians lost each year to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and pregnancy-related conditions, according to new report.
The report released by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India and commissioned by the GSM Association also drew inputs from the GSMA Connected Living programme , said that mobile phone interventions, all thing being equal with patients’ compliance with treatment, medical stock available and healthcare workers stick to treatment guidelines 3 million lives lost each year across Africa over the next five years.
“Many of the deadly conditions are relatively simple to treat, prevent or contain. SMS reminders to check stock levels at health centres have shown promising results in reducing stock-outs of key combination therapy medication for malaria, TB and HIV” the report said.
According to PwC, mobile phones could be used for a range of health uses in Africa. Although the reports contained that the continent’s low mHealth adoption rate may be due to health illiteracy among patients, however, there was little evidence that mHealth schemes lead to improved health outcomes.
“Delivering mobile-assisted awareness to pregnant mothers and traditional birth attendants could reduce prenatal and maternal mortality by up to 30 per cent, while programmes that track mobile-usage patterns have been very successful in predicting disease outbreaks and in reporting malaria reporting adherence,” the report said.
“Africa’s low adoption of mHealth solutions is mainly due to a lack of health literacy among patients,” Shashank Tripathi, leader of the strategy and research practice at PwC India and one of the study authors said.
“We believe that, whereas the cost (of mobile phones) may be an issue affecting uptake (of mHealth), a bigger issue is awareness. People who are unaware of the need to consult a health service will not consult it,” Tripathi tells SciDev.Net. Consequently, he recommends intensified awareness campaigns.
In Nigeria, the antenatal care application delivered by Pathfinder International and other collaborating agents is currently being used in 20 health facilities in Abuja through the CommCare platform.
More than 150 health workers will use CommCare during antenatal care client sessions. A rigorous research study is ongoing and examines the quality of antenatal care provided by community health workers as well as the perceptions of community health workers on using CommCare and its effect on client interactions.
The results of the study are expected in late 2013.
But the report estimated that the potential number of lives that mHealth initiatives could save in Africa over five years to 2017 differs greatly, from 1,500 in Botswana up to 147,000 in Nigeria.
“Besides differences in mobile phone ownership and use, these variations are also due to differing mortality rates for individual countries,” added Tripathi.
But unlike the report’s optimistic outlook, two recent review studies found little evidence that the mHealth initiative actually lead to improved health outcomes in developing countries.
It would be recalled that Pathfinder International in conjunction with Dimagi launched an ehealth scheme called m4Change project in Nigeria with Nassarawa and Abuja as pilot states.
The scheme kicked off in 2012 to improve the quality of services provided by community health workers through the deployment of a mobile phone antenatal care application designed to facilitate more accurate decision-making.
Meanwhile, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries spend close to $6 trillion in healthcare costs every year. OECD is an organization that acts as a meeting ground for 34 countries which believe strongly in the free market system.
“On an average, OECD countries spend over 3,200 USD per capita on healthcare, which amounts to 9.6% of the combined OECD GDP. Healthcare spending has consistently outpaced GDP growth rate in most of these nations and is expected to place considerable pressure on public expenditure as the government contributes in excess of 70% of total healthcare spend.
Ericsson Mobility Report, November 2012 estimated that by 2017, 85 % of world’s population will have 3G coverage, and that global data traffic will grow 12-fold by the end of 2018.
And the future demand will only be met by the continued roll-out of standardised mobile networks including the global GSM LTE Mobile Broadband standard.
Without continued investment and growth in mobile networks and the deployment of multiple connected devices, the report continued, the socioeconomic benefits of the connected life will not be fulfilled.
“Beyond connectivity, mobile operators will play a crucial role in working together with a range of industry partners in health, automotive, education, smart cities and a range of vertical industries to accelerate the launch of valuable connected services,” said, Ana Tavares Lattibeaudiere, head of Connected Living, GSMA.
Mobile operators have the opportunity to generate value beyond basic connectivity through managed connectivity, stewardship services and platform innovation.
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
Heirs Life Assurance, the specialist life insurance company of Heirs Insurance Group, has appointed Pastor Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director on its Board, effective August 10, 2026.
L – R: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance; Pastor Jerry Eze, incoming director, Heirs Life Assurance
The appointment reinforces Heirs Life Assurance’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and accelerating insurance adoption by strengthening public trust, consumer education, and long-term financial resilience across Nigeria.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains below one percent – among the lowest globally – highlighting the need to expand financial protection and build greater public trust in insurance.
As Heirs Life continues to pursue its mission of making insurance accessible to every Nigerian, Eze’s appointment brings a unique perspective on community engagement, value-based leadership, and broad societal impact.
Pastor Jerry Eze is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International Ministry, a growing multinational ministry with 34 branches across West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and North America.
He is also the convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), one of the world’s largest digital prayer platforms, reaching millions of people daily. Through his ministry and humanitarian initiatives, he has become one of Africa’s most influential voices, championing hope, compassion, and community transformation.
Beyond ministry, Eze is the Founder of the Jerry Eze Foundation, a faith-led philanthropy where he provides housing support and grants to vulnerable and underserved communities.
In 2026, he announced N1billion in grants to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, further advancing enterprise development and economic opportunity.
Before entering full-time ministry, Pastor Jerry Eze built a career in development communications, serving as a Communications Specialist on a World Bank HIV/AIDS programme and with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance, said: “Pastor Jerry brings an exceptional combination of integrity, influence, and a deep understanding of people and communities.
“As we continue our mission to democratise access to insurance, his insight will help strengthen consumer trust, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce our commitment to protecting the financial future of millions of Nigerians.
“We are delighted to welcome him to the Board of Heirs Life Assurance and the broader family of Heirs Insurance Group.”
Commenting on his appointment, Pastor Jerry Eze said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Heirs Life Assurance at a defining moment for the insurance industry. Financial security empowers individuals, families, and businesses to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Management to advance the company’s mission of making insurance more accessible, relevant, and impactful for every Nigerian.”
Heirs Life Assurance has become one of Nigeria’s leading specialist life insurance companies, ranking 7th on the Financial Times list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
It is one of the three insurance businesses of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company, with investments across 24 countries and four continents.
Combining an omni-channel digital presence with physical branches spread across the country, Heirs Life continues to redefine life insurance through innovation, customer-centric solutions, and a commitment to making financial protection accessible to every Nigerian.
Heirs Insurance Group, comprising Heirs Life Assurance, Heirs General Insurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers, collectively serves over 3 million people directly and indirectly.
The Group is championing financial inclusion and leading the digital insurance play in Nigeria, demonstrating its mission to democratise access to insurance.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
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