Service 3-2-1

Provide access to important mobile health information (IVR/audio), in the local language

Project start date : 21/08/2010

Last updated : 16/03/2022

Beneficiary country : Afghanistan Botswana Burkina Faso Cambodia Congo (the Democratic Republic of the) Ghana Madagascar Malawi Nigeria Uganda

Healthcare themes targeted

  • Mother and child health
  • Primary healthcare
  • Nutrition
  • Malaria/paludism
  • Infectious diseases
  • Sexual and reproductive health
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Vaccination
  • Chronic diseases

Fields of application

  • Information, education and communication for behaviour change (IEC)

Stage of development

  • Routine project/operational

Financing method

  • Public (grant/subsidies, call for proposals/call for tender, etc.)
  • Private (private investors, crowdfunding, philanthropy, etc.)
  • NGO
  • Government agency (USAID, etc.)
  • Intergovernmental or international agency

Area where the project is utilised

  • International (in several countries)

Economic model(s)

  • Subsidies
  • Advertising
  • Other (please specify)

What problem does the initiative address ?

The main problem: how to connect people without access to a smartphone or the Internet to the information they need to lead a healthy life? The solution does not depend on the availability of the Internet or smartphones. Most people in Africa and Asia have access to a mobile phone. It is also an on-demand service: people do not need to wait for the information that NGOs or the government decide to disseminate. With our large content directories in each country, the people have the op...

Detailed description of the initiative

Viamo has developed an IVR platform. It has technical integrations (E1 or SIP) with mobile network operators in 20 countries in Africa and Asia. Viamo implements automated green lines, where people can call 24/7 (with total privacy/anonymity) for more information about healthy behaviour, resources, or services in their areas, available in their own language. Communication costs are borne by their telecom partners through the establishment of strategic partnerships. Other green lines ...

What is the proposed solution added value ?

Smartphones are not yet accessible for most people. The Viamo solution is available offline. IVR, compared to an SMS, offers programmatic advantages to face the challenges of illiteracy, and to overcome the limitations of special characters. It allows for messages in a voice/accent that is understandable in the local language. As an IVR expert, Viamo offers these benefits with local partnerships, as well as its sophisticated platform that analyses data in real time with advanced visu...

10 000 000

Number of beneficiaries since launch

20 Full-Time equivalents

60 Employees

N/C Volunteers

7 Service providers

Service 3-2-1

10 000 000

Number of beneficiaries since launch

Target audience

  • Entire population
  • Sick people
  • Pregnant women
  • Children - adolescents (ages 6-18)
  • Young children (0-5 years)
  • Patient family/entourage

Project objectives

  • Decreased mortality
  • Decreased morbidity
  • Reduced suffering
  • Improved treatment
  • Other (please explain)

Materials used

  • Cellular (mobile) phone

Technologies used

  • Mobile telecommunications (without data connection)

Offline use

Yes

Open source

No

Open data

No

Independent evaluation

No

About the sponsor

Viamo Inc.

Viamo is a Canadian social enterprise with origins in Ghana and a presence in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia. Its mission is to facilitate access to health information and data. With its own Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and technical integrations with multiple mobile network operators, Viamo is one of the world’s leaders in mobile (cellular) technologies.

Sector : Industrial (Startups, enterprises, etc.)

Country of origin : Canada

Contact : Sponsor website Project website

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