Computing giant HP and mothers2mothers (m2m), an SA-based NGO, have collaborated to use the power of technology to help prevent the transmission of HIV from HIV-positive pregnant mothers in Africa to their children.
Under the agreement, new database technology plus cloud and mobile services from HP will convert the current paper-based patient records system into a digital community that enables easy sharing of information across the m2m network of more than 700 sites in sub-Saharan Africa.
The two organisations believe this more efficient management system will empower counsellors to provide more effective education and support services to pregnant mothers.
According to HP, the system will provide easy access to up-to-date information on patient treatment plans and advanced reporting tools to provide faster and more effective access to information.
“This will allow m2m to scale knowledge and best practices across its network,” notes the tech giant.
It explains that in the next phase of the programme, m2m employees will be able to collect and share data via basic mobile phones, creating an 'always connected' environment.
“This will enable employees to collect data more efficiently from patients and, over time, will help the operation scale to meet the demands of more patients.”
In its September 2010 report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) noted mother-to-child HIV transmission rates remain high in Africa in part due to the challenge of ensuring mothers' adherence to medical treatment.
The organisation adds that there are more than 1.3 million pregnant women living with HIV in Africa.
“Without any interventions, 40% of those women will have HIV-positive babies. Each year, more babies are born with HIV in one busy clinic in Africa than in the US, Canada and England combined.”
Worldwide, 1.4 million pregnant women are HIV-positive. 88% of these women live in sub-Saharan Africa, WHO notes.
m2m helps to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV through an effective, sustainable model of care. The NGO says it counsels more than 1.5 million women in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa each year.
“mothers2mothers now helps more than 1.5 million women each year. With technological expertise from HP, we can modernise our paper-based infrastructure to a highly efficient digital model, allowing us to meet the growing demand for our services and put information directly into the hands of our 'Mentor Mothers'.
“This new system will enable us to serve women much more effectively through improved knowledge and insight,” says Gene Falk, co-founder and CEO of m2m.
Says Frank van Rees, country managing director and HP Enterprise Business Lead, SA: “Global health is one of the last frontiers for IT transformation and holds immense promise for significant improvement to the quality of care available through the appropriate application and use of technology.
“With mothers2mothers' rich understanding of health challenges in Africa, we can transform the lives of women in Africa and provide greater hope in winning the fight against HIV/AIDS.”
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