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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.
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.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, has approved the allocation of a parcel of land in Enugu, the state capital, for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund.
Mbah announced this while receiving a delegation from the Industrial Training Fund on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The ITF disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor.
According to the statement, Mbah described the proposed project as timely and aligned with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
He noted that the future of economic prosperity lies in deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, adding that the state has continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.
The governor explained that his administration has made technical education compulsory in the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare learners for the future of work.
According to him, many traditional trades are now driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that will enable them to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Governor Mbah further disclosed that his administration has built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities, to prepare youths for the evolving global economy.
He noted that artificial intelligence is expected to contribute about $20tn to the global economy in the coming years.
He therefore stressed that the state must be intentional about upskilling its citizens, adding that the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre will significantly strengthen the state’s drive to build a knowledge-based economy, foster innovation, promote local manufacturing and create employment opportunities for its growing youthful population.
Earlier, Afiz Ogun, the Director-General of the ITF, who led the delegation, said that upon his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, he was mandated to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards.
He explained that the Fund subsequently repositioned its technical and vocational skills development efforts through strategic initiatives, including the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.
Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products. He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State to establish a similar centre with the same production capacity.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at promoting industrialisation, reducing dependence on imports and preparing Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into public-private partnerships that will transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.
Ogun further noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, are rapidly transforming the global economy, making it imperative for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.
The ITF delegation was later conducted on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.
Glovo, a multi-category tech company, has announced its integration into the generative AI ecosystem with the launch of its “Shopping Assistant” for ChatGPT and Claude. Users can now discover retail products, compare prices, and seamlessly order any item using natural conversational language with the AI systems.
The Glovo experience inside such platforms introduces a conversational commerce model that shifts from a search-based web to an intent-based web. Rather than navigating traditional app menus and filters, users can express needs, such as asking for a “last-minute gift for a coffee lover under ₦50,000”, and the assistant handles semantic search, location validation, and product curation.
A Seamless, Concierge-Like Experience
Once both platforms have been connected through either ChatGPT or Claude apps, the user will be able to have a multi-turn dialogue where the assistant remembers context and constraints, such as budget caps. Users receive a visual carousel of up to five highly customised product options available at local stores. Each product displays its image, name, store details and ratings, and price. While the search and discovery experience takes place directly on the Generative AI platforms, selecting a product via the “view on Glovo” button takes the user to the Glovo mobile or web app, where the payment and final purchase are exclusively completed.
Strategic Focus on Retail and Growth
Glovo is prioritising the retail and grocery sectors for this initial launch, capturing the established habit of using AI for product research. Generative AI has driven a significant jump in retail traffic globally, so this first-mover advantage aims to meet customers where they are meeting Gen AI daily, and ensure it captures high-intent organic traffic as search behaviours evolve.
“We’re always looking for ways to meet our customers where they already are. Being available on Claude and ChatGPT means people can discover what Glovo has to offer as part of a natural conversation, with no friction. Glovo has always been about being the everyday app that provides choice and convenience, and this is another step in that direction”, said Shiro Theuri, Chief Technology Officer at Glovo.
How to look for products in the Glovo app through ChatGPT or Claude
- The user must sync ChatGPT or Claude with the Glovo app with the plug-in.
- Once synced, the user must type in @glovo followed by their request.
- The AI platform displays a carousel with 5 available options for the user.
- If the user wants to purchase any of the products or continue searching within the Glovo app, they must click “View on Glovo”, which will redirect the user to the Glovo app or website.
- After the order is confirmed, the store will prepare the item(s) and the courier will head up to the pick-up location. The user will receive the order in minutes.
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