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Text Messaging Used to Increase HIV and AIDS Awareness in Africa

by Dan Reilly on October 27, 2008 at 04:08 PM


Say what you will about texting being impersonal or a waste of money, but a project in South Africa shows the messages can help thousands of people. A number of organizations have united to form Project Masiluleke, which sends out free messages every day to millions of people, urging them to call a confidential phone number with any concerns about AIDS or HIV. So far, calls have quadrupled due to the project.

The project couldn't come sooner for South Africa, where 1,000 people die every day due to HIV.11-percent of the country has the virus, 40-percent of pregnant women are infected in one region, and yet only 5-percent of South Africans have been tested. Since 90-percent of South Africans use mobile phones, the project decided to target them. In addition to the initial wave of texts regarding the help line, Masiluleke's organizers are planning to offer free home testing kits and text message reminders about medical appointments and treatment. We hope this simple solution will garner incredible results. [From: The Guardian]

Tags: aids, health, HIV, medicine, prevention, text messaging, texting, TextMessaging

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