Alerta MINSA: The First mHealth Project in Latin America

Photo Credit: rcrwireless.com

In the news and blogosphere on ICT4D, there is a heavy focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, mostly because mobile phones have exploded across the continent. But we have missed many of the innovations that are going on in Latin American and the Caribbean. In an effort to reach back to the history of mHealth, I was able to connect with one of the first individuals to work in mhealth, even before the term mhealth had been coined – Ernesto Gozzer, currently working as a Researcher and STC with the World Health Organization and is an Associate Professor at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.

While he could not confirm that the project was the first in the world, Alerta MINSA was the first in Latin America. Originally launched on February 6^th, 2001 in the Cañete Town Hall Auditorium (in the southern part of Lima), Ernesto admitted they had no idea they were pioneering mhealth. “We thought we were helping to improve the health information systems for critical health issues. The aim was using available technology to connect the unconnected, to help to reduce the digital divide.”

Alerta MINSA stands for Alert Ministry of Health and was initially funded by InfoDev. The tool allowed for disease surveillance to send via text messages and through the internet. The information is then consolidated in a database. Alerts can then be sent when thresholds have been surpassed as well as automated reports and compiling data in tables, graphs, and maps in dashboards. Currently Alerta is the “official disease surveillance system” of the Peruvian Air Force, Navy, and Army. It also has been used in other countries including Ecuador, Panama, Tanzania, Rwanda, Colombia, and Paraguay.

My favorite idea that Ernesto talked about was the following: “So, this was not a pilot but what I call a local innovation that expanded beyond borders.” I love this quote because an innovative solution was created to solve a specific problem using mobile phones. Instead of it being the sexy thing to do, it was done out of necessity. The developers use the power of mobile phones to provide a solution to a problem. This is an important lesson that has been mentioned before in the mhealth space. Start with the problem first and then develop a solution around it. This is as true today as it was 11 years ago.

April 14, 2012/by actualize

Agriculture, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Using Radio to Improve Local Responses to Climate Variability: The Case of Alpaca Farmers in the Peruvian Andes

Photo Credit: CDI and IRDC

The Centre for Development Informatics (CDI) at the University of Manchester with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) recently released a report on agricultural adaption for climate change. This report, “Using Radio to Improve Local Responses to Climate Variability,” focuses on a radio program made available to alpaca farmers in the Peruvian Andes.

Life of farmers in the Andes is difficult at times are made more volatile in light of climate vulnerability. Lately there have been unexpected cold spells coupled with heavy snowfall. Peru has the largest number of South American camelids (the animal group that includes llama, alpaca, vicuna and guanaco) in the world, providing a subsistence to 65,000 families at altitudes of 3,500 to 5,000 meters, where other forms of agriculture are impractical. With climate variations that have lead to below-average temperatures and water scarcity, there has been an increased death rate of livestock, the “main income source, this loss of animals condemns further those who are already living in conditions of severe poverty.”

The study notes a lack of adaptive capacity among farmers for short-term action. To address this, the CAMELTEC project was initiated from 2008 to 2010 by Peruvian NGO Desco with financial support of Oxfam GB.

CAMELTEC broadcasted technological, social, political, and institutional information with a heavy focus on meteorological warnings, market prices of alpaca wool and husbandry advice to remote communities. CAMELTEC also aired a weekly 20-minute broadcast called Amanecer Alpaquero (Alpaca Farmer’s Daybreak) that included more specific information and discussion on pertinent problems, the show “was popular with all members of Alpaca farming families not just because of the vital information provided, but also because of its use of humor and music in transmitting its message.”

Radio was chosen as the medium for engaging farmers because of its low setup, operating costs, and “the availability of cheap battery-powered AM radios means that the majority of Alpaca farming households have access to local radio broadcasts.” Radio is deemed the best option for communication because it has the best reception coverage in the andean topography where it has been “historically cost-prohibitive to construct infrastructure such as paved roads, electricity and fixed telecommunications up to the farmsteads.” Though most farmers have mobile phones, the utility is limited.

The CAMELTEC project had three goals:

– strengthen local organizations such as farmer-cooperatives to enable the introduction of sustainable (including climate-sustainable) livestock practices

– improve the quality and quantity of alpaca wool being produced, through good husbandry and reproductive management practices

– improve income through changes to wool output and through better market access

The project is deemed successful, decreasing livestock mortality by 12% and saving an equivalent of US $500 on average per farmer. Another benefit of the radio program was its access to females, addressing traditional gender barriers that make it difficult for women to be involved in community farming meetings. The program has encouraged “a more systematic approach to breeding, the utilization of farming cooperatives for marketing of alpaca wool, and a more commercial approach to farming; all of which have helped to either maintain or raise income levels.

Photo Credit: CDI and IRDC

What made CAMELTEC successful? “Deep local knowledge and experience were vital… building as it did on Demsco’s many years of working with local farmers” to gain trust and expertise. However the inability to deliver skill knowledge and the high price of batteries limited the project. The study concludes with the suggestion of strengthening radio programing related to climate change adaptation to improve institutional building.

February 16, 2012/by actualize