SMS fight Aids in Kenya

Non-governmental organisation One World is launching in Kenya a new SMS service to coincide with the World Aids Day on Wednesday, writes BBC News.

Subscribers can text questions about HIV/Aids and receive a prompt answer for free. Besides, they can receive daily tips on how to prevent the infection and deal with the pandemic.

"These questions are received by us as an e-mail. Then we look at those questions from our database and we give the appropriate response, and this response is then sent back to the person's mobile phone as an SMS," comments One World's business manager in Kenya, Anthony Mwaniki.

According to the organisation, the mobile channel seems to be the best one to reach people in the African country. Up to 2.5 million Kenyans have a mobile phone, five times more than those with internet access, and the number is likely to grow. In addition, text messages are popular, easy to use and cheap.

On a first stage, the service will operate exclusively in English, but a Swahili version will follow . "We already have our HIV database translated into Swahili, and we will be having the SMS community service also available in that language."

Regine | 3:26 PM | SMS Services offered by the Press |
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