Fast and efficient access to maternal and child care services via ICT

MANILA, Philippines - As maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the country continues to increase due to lack of knowledge and medical attention, leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom and ACCESS Health International have decided to join hands for better healthcare delivery services to mothers and children particularly in underprivileged areas.

“We want to help find a solution to health problems plaguing the country, particularly mothers and children in the lower income group.  So, through the use of technology, we hope to determine how to give them access to quality health care services,” said Fernando Esguerra, OIC, Globe corporate social responsibility.

Dubbed as E-Aksyon tungo sa Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (e-AKaP), the ACCESS Health project is being piloted in about 6,000 households under the jurisdiction of three Caloocan City health stations, involving 100 health workers and community health team (CHT) partners.  It may be later on expanded to other barangays, cities, and municipalities.

e-AKap uses a computer application known as Intelligent Community Health Team (iCHT) for identification of health risks and formulation of specific health plans for mothers and children, follow-up of scheduled visits, and status updates through electronic reporting.  The application is pre-loaded in the 25 tablet computers provided by Globe, which also donated Tattoo broadband sticks with Globe Prepaid load for Internet access.

“As frontliners in the delivery of health services, we go around bringing a lot of forms, health plans, and guides.  With e-AKap, we were taught how to use a tablet.  It contains all the health messages which we read to the households.  There’s also a reminder on who should go to the health center on a specific date.  Our work becomes easier now so we are able to teach more people, especially the children and pregnant mothers, to be aware of the risk factors,” said Sonata Sadsad, a CHT partner.

Dr. Laila Celino, municipal health officer, also expressed gratitude that e-AKaP was first introduced in Caloocan City.  “If we can conduct a fast assessment of the health situation in the community, we can also address the problem promptly.  In Bagong Silang alone, there are only six doctors for a population of 300,000, thus, it is impossible to reach every one.  But now, with the help of the CHT partners and electronic monitoring, bringing health service right at the people’s doorstep would be much quicker,” she said.

According to Celino, since the tablets are turned over to the health center by the CHT partners, data is updated every day. Once the information is validated by the doctors, they can easily identify who are in need of medical attention. 

“Usually, people only visit us when the problem is already worse.  They try to avoid going to the health center maybe because they are afraid, shy, or simply couldn’t leave work.  Now that we have empowered the community, they help bring the patients to us or we can go to them if necessary. The community health team uses the tablet to teach the people and make them realize that they will suffer and spend more if they allow their health to deteriorate,” Celino added.

Latest statistics show that despite the government’s focused efforts to improve maternal and child health, the maternal mortality rate (MRR) in the Philippines still rose by 35 percent from 162 out of 100,000 live births in 2009 to 211 in 2011.