Mobile Health, Developing Countries

This entry describes the introduction and evolution of the application and impacts of mHealth in developing countries. The initial phase of mHealth was characterized by mobile phone-based voice and text health communication primarily for improving healthcare delivery systems, and was focused on communicable diseases and maternal/child health. Recently, more advanced technologies such as mobile applications have emerged to address patients’ and consumers’ self-care practices. Although pilot mHealth projects reported promising outcomes, there is a lack of a credible evidence base regarding the long-term sustainability of mHealth on a large scale. In summary, mHealth initially seemed promising for improving health practices in developing countries, but has yet to live up to its true potential for transforming healthcare systems. Mobile health technologies are continuously evolving, with promising emergent areas, although these continue to be constrained by challenges unique to developing economies.