Telenor has signed an agreement with Marie Stopes International Myanmar (MSIM) to provide mobile healthcare services in Myanmar, the Norwegian telecoms firm said.
Together the companies will launch affordable mobile health initiatives for maternal and child healthcare to women and their families in underserved communities in Myanmar, Telenor said.
Two thirds of the Myanmar population live in remote areas and often in these regions, accurate information about healthcare can be hard to come by.
Telenor and MSIM will launch mobile health services (mHealth) in which Telenor will provide affordable access through mobile connectivity to tailored content by MSIM aimed at informing expectant and new mothers of health education messages and giving important advice on birth spacing, child and reproductive healthcare.
Telenor Myanmar CEO, Petter Furberg, said at the signing: “MSIM has pioneered innovative methods of reaching people in remote and challenging locations, so the combination of their extensive healthcare experience and our network rollout for affordable mobile communication, means we can help provide key health advice to most parts of Myanmar.”
The health advice will be available via text and voice activated SMS, interactive voice response, and through call centres with customised real-time advice by healthcare professionals.
Marie Stopes International Myanmar (MSIM) is one of the country’s leading reproductive, maternal and child health service delivery organisations and works with government departments and other partners to help strengthen the local health systems and deliver its services.
Dr Sid Naing, MSIM’s Country Director, said: “With 70 percent of the population living in rural areas where there is need for skilled healthcare personnel on the ground, finding innovative solutions to increase coverage of key maternal and child information and services is critically important.
“Our joint initiative will take steps towards helping the country meet the Millennium Development Goals to reduce child mortality and improve maternal and reproductive health by 2015.”
The two organisations also have plans to expand the programme to offer 3G-enabled mobile telemedicine services where patients living in rural areas can consult with doctors in the major cities through the mobile network.
