July 28, 2010
Cell phones save lives in Rwandan villages
CNN reports on a Rwanda government program which gives out hundreds of cell phones in an attempt to save pregnant women and babies.
Nearly 500 volunteer community health care workers in the rural district of Musanze have been given free phones so they can keep track of all the pregnant women in their villages.
The cell phones are used to register and monitor expecting mothers. If there are any questions, complications or updates, health workers simply send a text to their local clinic and receive a response within minutes.
Rwanda is ranked among the world's worst for maternal mortality. The majority of Rwandan women have their babies at home with untrained midwives. Many die from bleeding or infection, both easily preventable with the right care.
The cell-phone program, or Rapid SMS scheme, was set up in conjunction with various U.N. organizations to bring the number of maternal deaths down.
Read full article.
Related: - Text Messages Save Pregnant Rwandan Women
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2010/07/026491.htm
| Tweet |
