GSK forms partnership with Vodafone to help increase child vaccination in Mozambique
Aims to create sustainable and scalable model to be replicated across Africa
GSK and mobile phone company Vodafone are joining forces in a project aimed at increasing vaccination rates in children in Mozambique using text messaging.
The one-year pilot project in Mozambique, supported by the Save the Children charity, aims to increase the proportion of children covered by vaccination by an additional 5–10%. It will register mothers on a Ministry of Health database and alert them to the availability of vaccinations and allow them to schedule appointments by text message.
Health workers will be provided with smartphones allowing them to contact mothers, view and record vaccination histories, schedule vaccinations and report on follow-up visits.
Healthcare facilities will be prompted to report regularly on vaccination stock levels by text message.
The pilot will include up to 100 clinics and be independently tested to prove its effectiveness
The pilot will include up to 100 clinics and will be independently tested to prove its impact, effectiveness and cost benefits. To ensure open access, the platform will be available to caregivers across any mobile network and can be used to increase take-up of any selected vaccine.
If successful, the project will create a model that can be replicated throughout Mozambique and then scaled across Africa.
Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, said: ‘This new partnership combines GSK’s expertise, knowledge and resources with those of Vodafone with the potential to deliver life-saving vaccines to tens of thousands more children in Mozambique. Our hope is that together we will create a sustainable and scalable model which could ultimately be replicated to help more children live healthy lives across developing countries.’
Vittorio Colao, CEO of Vodafone, added: ‘Vodafone is committed to investing in mobile technologies that can transform healthcare in both developed and emerging markets. These partnerships have the potential to save millions of children’s lives in some of the world’s poorest countries and we are delighted to support this critically important endeavour.’
