UK-based mobile strategy company Mobilium Global hopes to capitalise on smartphone penetration in Africa by launching the Smart Health application, to promote health and wellness among users on the continent.
"The application is focused on providing an accurate baseline information resource on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as invaluable knowledge on a number of ancillary topics, such as injection safety," says Mobilium Global in a statement.
The company says the Android app - launched in the beginning of March - also incorporates a mobile Web-based symptom checker, the Isabel Symptom Checker app, which is listed in Britain's National Health Service Choices Health Apps Library of safe and trusted apps.
SA, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Angola and Senegal are the first countries to have the app available for free download, according to Mobilium Global.
Olu Otudeko, business director at Mobilium Global, says Smart Health is similar to online health resource Web MD, which is also focused on updating medical information databases and publishing health news.
Eyeing growth
Otudeko hopes the company's distribution partnership with Samsung Africa will speed the app's adoption among users. "Smart Health will be embedded on all new Samsung phones across Africa and the embedding process has started."
Otudeko says Samsung will include the app on its devices in the coming months and tablets will also be included in the distribution process.
Mobilium Global says future releases of Smart Health will include information on nutrition, as well as prenatal and postnatal mother and child care.
The app's development was supported by the Global Fund to Fight Aids.
Mobilium Global CEO Ralph Simon says the company's goal is "to provide mobile users in Africa a free, all-access health resource platform that informs, as well as encourages safe behavioural practices that in turn will help reduce the transmission and infection rates of AIDS, malaria and TB".
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