Scaling up digital health and combatting NCDs – Digital and specifically mHealth solutions have the potential to play a key role in transforming our lives for the better. They provide a powerful opportunity to extend and change how we access health services, as they can bring them to people in remote areas, and can make universal access to health care for all a reality – across the globe.
95% of the world population is covered by mobile networks, and there are over 7 billion mobile subscriptions in the world. The Be He@lthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) initiative taps into this development, and harnesses the reach of mobile phones to address the leading cause of deaths across the globe – noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors – which are killing an estimated 41 million people each year, more than all other causes of death combined!
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Since its founding as a joint WHO-ITU initiative in 2012, Be He@lthy, Be Mobile has made significant progress in developing mHealth services for NCDs and their risk factors – supporting countries by providing technical expertise to effectively implement and sustainably scale mHealth at the national level. Be He@lthy, Be Mobile works with governments to introduce evidence-based mHealth services into their national health systems, institutionalize them nationally on a large-scale, evaluate their impact, and share best practices. The initiative continues to support programmes in a combination of low-, middle- and high-income countries, sharing content and experiences between them to accelerate the adoption of best practices.
It is the first initiative of its kind, and collaborates on some of the largest government-run mHealth programmes in the world.
Objectives of Be He@lthy, Be Mobile include:
• Help countries implement and sustainably scale mHealth programmes
• Develop validated content that works
• Enter into meaningful partnerships globally and in country – multisectoral and ecosystem approach
• Explore and expand innovations
• Share knowledge
• Build country capacity for innovation management and institutionalize digital health
“The BHBM global initiative is the best example of supporting countries to effectively implement mHealth on a large scale that I have seen. The team brings the evidence, expertise and the experience to Ministries of Health and stakeholders who are serious about implementation. This has made the difference in moving mHealth from small-scale silo-ed pilots […] to large-scale, integrated, government supported programmes. Countries that follow this formula are also better placed to add further mHealth initiatives once the first is implemented.”
Dr Robyn Whittaker, University of Auckland |
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are one of main health risks around the world. Collectively, NCDs are responsible for killing an estimated 41 million people each year. With approximately 71% of all deaths worldwide, they are responsible for more than all other causes of death combined. Low and middle-income countries are particularly affected, where almost three quarters of all NCD deaths occur, and 82% of those who died prematurely – or before reaching 70 years of age.
NCDs are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural aspects, and their rise has been driven primarily by four major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets.
This means that these diseases are largely preventable – but only if programmes are developed that effectively target these factors. Other key components of the response to NCDs are awareness raising, detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care. To lessen the impact of NCDs on individuals and society, a comprehensive approach is needed requiring all sectors, including health, finance, transport, education, agriculture, planning and others, to collaborate to reduce the risks associated with NCDs, and promote interventions to prevent and control them.`
The cost of NCDs is immense, and while solutions exist, those need to be implemented and scaled.
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For more about information about NCDs and related Resolutions visit www.who.int/nmh
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Mobile Health or mHealth is the use of mobile technology to provide health care support to patients or technical support to health service providers in a direct, cost-efficient and engaging manner.
With 95% of the global population covered by mobile networks, and over 7 billion mobile cellular subscriptions in the world, mobile phones provide a reliable and inexpensive way to reach virtually everyone, including people in even the most remote areas – who may now equally benefit from mHealth services. As one of the few delivery channels which does not require overwhelming investment in new infrastructure, mHealth has the potential to play a significant part in the transformation of healthcare services. Well-positioned to contribute to the achievement of SDG 3, mHealth can improve well-being, increase quality and efficiency of health services – and even bring universal access for all into reach!
Benefits
• Reducing health care costs, while responding to challenges of health care systems around the world
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• Saving lives, improving health and well-being, while cost effectively expanded coverage, quality, efficiency
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• Increased prevention and quality of life approach, through early detection, self-assessment, remote diagnosis
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• More efficient and sustainable healthcare, due to better planning for health professionals, diagnosis and guidance for treatment
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- • Empowered patients, due to increased responsibility, information and self-management options
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