@iLabAfrica Theses and Dissertations

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Accessing maternal healthcare information using a mobile application
(Strathmore University, 2012-10) Kioko, Shadrack; Sevilla, Joseph (Dr.); Marwanga, Reuben (Dr.); Kiraka, Ruth (Prof.)
The ubiquity and penetration of mobile phones in Sub-Saharan Africa presents the opportunity to leverage maternal care information provision in both prenatal and postnatal cases. The slow progress and funding constraints in attaining the Millennium Development Goals for child and maternal health encourage harnessing innovative measures, such as mHealth, to address these public health priorities. Mobile health (mHealth) encompasses the use of mobile telecommunication and multimedia into increasingly mobile and wireless health care delivery systems and has the potential to improve tens of thousands of lives each year. Being pregnant can be very challenging to mothers especially if they are expecting for the first time. In Kenya, many women rely on information that is down from one to another which may not be accurate as experience from each pregnancy can be different from one pregnancy to the other and from one person to another. Matters are made worse when information past down is mixed with cultural taboo. The aim of this research was to determine the challenges expectant women face when accessing maternal healthcare information in Kenya, to determine the current sources of the information and their limitations, determine the design requirements, the best mobile platform to develop the mobile application on and lastly to develop and test the mobile application. The findings of this research show that only a few expectant women currently access information from Internet sources. In developed countries, mobile phones are widely used to provide maternal healthcare information through mobile applications, SMS. In Kenya, few women use mobile and Internet to access this information because they rely on books, stories and doctors information which they receive rarely. The research established that mHealth has a great potential in increasing access to maternal information in developing countries. LEA, a Java based mobile application, was developed to provide maternal healthcare information to expectant women. It represents a proof of concept that mobile applications lead to sustainable prenatal and neonatal mHealth services.
Use of regular expressions for multilingual detection of Hate speech in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2013) Maloba, Wilson
language in online forums and other text based communication mediums such as SMS is nothing new. It is not uncommon to see comments such as: ‘this comment has been removed due to a low rating’ or simply ‘comment removed’ on websites. Most sites employ a ‘report abuse’ button for users to flag comments they deem as abusive for one reason or another. So how does this happen, how are site administrators able to detect offensive texts? There are several methods used some of which include manual filtering and the use of mufti-level classifiers. However, the focus of this paper is on the use of regular expressions or regex in short. Regular expressions present a powerful method to detect string patterns in text. Hate speech has of late become a sensitive issue in Kenya given that it helped trigger the PEV of 2007/2008. However, the detection of this hate messages relies mostly on what is captured on the media or text that an online user happens to flag. This paper presents a method of using regular expressions, which are tried and tested, in the detection of hate speech in Kenya while taking into consideration three languages: English,Swahili and Sheng.
M-Banking: framework for extending adoption of M-banking in rural areas of Kenya.
(Strathmore University, 2013) Strathmore University
Banking is an area in which technology has had a fundamental impact on the everyday lives of consumers. This dissertation examines an innovation in the financial services industry, namely mobile banking services. It seeks to determine and explain the factors affecting the adoption of mobile banking services, and further to determine that mobile banking can be used to enhance the pervasiveness of banking services in rural and low income areas of Kenya, where access to financial services has traditionally been a problem. In order to arrive at a theoretical model, it draws on traditional theories of innovation diffusion and adoption and also on the literature relating to electronic banking and technology-based services. The model was tested with an empirical study. This aimed at conceptualizing various factors and modeling the relationships between variables in the mobile banking adoption framework. Methodologically, the dissertation takes a descriptive approach to the phenomenon under study. The data in the empirical study was collected by means of questionnaires, observation and interviews. The results indicated that certain attributes of mobile banking innovation drive the pervasiveness in its usage in rural and low income areas of Kenya or explain consumer behavior, in particular relative advantage, compatibility, observability, trialability, risk, age and education. By contrast, the investigation of complexity and gender disparity yielded no support as being barriers to adoption in these areas. Overall the dissertation goes some way beyond merely modeling consumer behavior in the mobile banking context but it also presents insights that could be useful to the government, mobile network operators and banking practitioners on the model of mobile banking that can most effectively increase the pervasiveness of banking services access in rural areas. Such financial access will help these unbanked rural people in Kenya out of poverty, and ultimately accomplish the first goal as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set out in Vision 2030.
Modeling of a secure distribution framework for topical digital materials to enhance m-learning in secondary schools
(Strathmore University, 2013) Mwogi, Christopher Sang
and lecturers in our local institutions have been writing educational materials which find wide acceptance by their students, some of these write-ups are topical learning materials. Topical learning materials are write-ups made by teachers and lecturers to cover certain topic in curriculum. These materials are low cost reading materials that on most cases do not make economic sense to publishers but of high value to students. Considering a large number of topical books and materials which are in circulation in our academic institutions it is imperative that a way is developed to nurture and encourage use of these materials in an economical way, in addition, students at remote areas ought to benefit from such refined materials. These learning materials are low value items that may not attract established publishers eye. The purpose of this research was to determine existence of e-learning frameworks in secondary schools that utilizes mobile platform. Smartphones are becoming popular and cheaper each day and it is finding wider usage and the rate of growth in sales is increasing at rate of 42.5% year over year as illustrated by IDC (2012). The findings of the study showed low penetration of mobile technologies as an aid in education. The study also showed a lot of willingness by academicians to adopt m-learning since it is more interactive, involves more contact, communication and collaboration with people (Vavoula, 2004). The result of the study is the design and implementation of m-learning distribution framework for topical digital materials used in secondary schools i.e. revision guides, test papers and other relevant materials, over mobile platform. The target audiences were mainly focus on lecturers, teachers and students. An elaborate secure digital distribution platform can really harness m-learning while allowing development of local content digital stores, and boosting sharing of educational materials easily by teachers and students in Kenya.
Mobile technology adoption and application in the MFI sector in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2013) Kamanu, Stephen Munene
Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) are key pillars in the global effort to extend economic inclusion to the poor. To achieve their mandate Micro Finance institutions use an operating model that requires wide outreach, frequent transactions and customer doorstep operations. This operating model presents unique problems key among them high human capital requirements and increased transaction cost. The research looks at how micro finance institutions can take advantage of the current developments in mobile technology to address the twin issues of increased transaction cost and offsite operations while offering a better quality of service to their customers. The study uses the Fit Viability Model (FVM) to map the MFIs tasks to the mobile telecommunications sector ability to avail processing power at the field, develops a reference application to address the challenges encountered in the outreach and collection processes in an MFI and finally uses the Technology Acceptance Model to determine the possible adoption of the reference implementation. Mobile technologies can provide the tools to implement the necessary process transformation required and desired by MFI in a bid to place both the mfi business and their clients and a competitive position. The study established that the adoption of technology in the outreach and collection processes in an MFI are low despite the fact that field officers posses the required academic capacity and have phones capable of running mobile applications. Field officers were enthusiastic about the reference application developed by the researcher and were of the view that it would dramatically increase their productivity and make them more effective in carrying out their day-to-day tasks.
Leveraging information access in E-Government using mobile services in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2013) Strathmore University
The purpose of this research paper is show the possibility of applying mobile web services using open source software. With the increase in the mobile penetration in Kenya, there is a need to provide access to the Government services in a cost effective and accessible manner. Effort and resources have been put in place to provide the services by the introduction of E-Government. This has however focused mainly on using a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that is optimized for the personal computers (PCs) and other powerful computing devices. Nowadays, most of the mobile devices that the citizens have are characterized by limited resources such as processing power, memory, display screen and connection bandwidth. To address this I propose a mobile web services design that allows access to these services to these devices, allows easy inclusion of new and improvement to existing services and uses the available open source platform to achieve this. This research shows a mobile service (m-service) delivery platform that allows dynamic inclusion of other services without requiring the users to update their applications. Finally, it also shows how the same m-service can be adopted to be integrated with multiple presentation methods namely; short message services (SMS), unstructured supplementary services data (USSD), mobile web and user downloadable applications e.g. Java ME.
Investigating the success factors to the adoption of baby monitor in Kenya : A case of D’Baby Monitor
(Strathmore University, 2013) Strathmore University
Baby monitors are not a new phenomenon in the developed world. Despite their wide and common use and new revolutions each day, little or no research has been done to identify their impact in the community. One of the famous reviews conducted by epinions.com showed how users were used to the idea of baby monitors and explained them “as indispensable as diapers” but no study was done to find out their impact. With introduction of a new and affordable baby monitor application(D’babymonitor), this study reviews usage of baby monitors in Kenya and any benefits articulated with their usage. Observations, questionnaires and interviews were used as the method of data collection to find out the readiness and awareness of the people using the application, hence giving a clear response on how its usage will impact either negatively or positively to the community and to the babies too. Out of the Sample population,21% were male while 79% were female and amongst them 75.3% were willing to use baby monitors to monitor their babies against a minority (24.7%) who were not willing. With a majority of the population having phones that could record voice and were java enabled, it is a good prerequisite for installation of the new baby monitor application. A careful observation indicated time taken to complete a task by baby attendants when using a baby monitor reduced by almost half as compared to not using a baby monitor.
The Impact of digital villages in rural ICT development
(Strathmore University, 2013) Tole, David Mwawuganga
The Kenyan government with the support of private organisations created an initiative by the name Pasha which involved the setting up Digital Villages across the country with key focus on rural communities. The government expects that this would increase the focus and growth in ICT and E-commerce in the country and help drive the goals of Vision 2030. Unfortunately the Digital Villages have not impacted the rural community as was initially purported, and therefore a lack of ICT growth and empowerment within the communities still exists. Government services are still centralized and accessibility especially for those within rural communities is still a problem. Questionnaires, numerous interviews and case studies have been documented order to provide a comparison between different Digital Village set-ups within Kenya. The questionnaires were distributed as primary data sources in a local Digital Village establishment in Machakos. Case study material was obtained from the ICT Board of Kenya and various private organisations that have set-up Digital Villages in Kenya. The research indicates issues encountered during the set-up and the lack of follow up procedures on already established Digital Villages has led to a collapse in most of them. Feedback obtained from the questionnaires indicates a lack of interest within rural communities in embracing Digital Villages mainly due to other economic activities undertaken. This has therefore reduced the impact of Digital Villages to rural ICT growth. The goals of Digital Villages are not being met in Kenya. Support needs to be offered by both the government and private sector in order to encourage growth of Digital Villages. These include training rural communities to become more self-sufficient after the initial set-up, improved infrastructure and access to marginalised areas and provision of services related to the main economic activities through Digital Villages. Constant reporting on the progress made by the Digital Villages will also assist in tracking down issues and ensure solutions are given. Rural communities also need to embrace Digital Villages as Centres towards enhancing their main economic activities through the knowledge obtained from communication with the outside world.
Mobile health architecture for health-care information delivery: case study: a breast cancer awareness mobile application (PINK RIBBON)
(Strathmore University, 2013) Carolyne Wariara Gakinya
Mounting interest in the field of m-Health—the provision of health-related services via mobile communications—can be traced to the evolution of several interrelated trends. In many parts of the world, including the developed and the developing countries, access to health care is a basic need yet this is not a reality to a large section of the population in these countries. These challenges normally arise as a result of high costs of healthcare, few medical personnel compared to the patients to be served and few medical facilities. In the developing countries, other challenges such as poor infrastructure, literacy levels and language barriers pose as stumbling blocks to access health care services. Yet in these same places, the explosive growth of mobile communications over the past decade offers a new hope for the promotion of quality healthcare. Now, this reliable technology helps to bridge the ‘digital divide’ gap. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the potential of mobile communications to radically improve healthcare services—even in some of the most remote and resource-poor environments. The research explores the usage of m-Health applications in developing countries especially Kenya as well as the health needs to which m-Health can be applied. It determines the design requirements of an m-Health architecture that can be used both as an informative and educative tool to the masses. This architecture is implemented by analysing, designing and testing a primary m-Health application that can be used to raise awareness about Breast Cancer as well as assist Community Health Workers to educate the general public about other general health related information. In conclusion some key design, business and technical requirements that need to be considered are suggested.
The use of mobile technology to improve service delivery in the hospitality industry: a case of restaurants in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2013) Ogolla, Arnold Nyochieng
The research takes a look at the restaurant industry in Kenya as well as the trends in the mobile industry. It then looks into how we can leverage the mobile industry to better the hospitality industry.The research determines that the communication channel between restaurant owners and their customers is weak and needs to be improved. A mobile solution “Wapi” is proposed to help improve service delivery in the hospitality industry. “Wapi” is a mobile solution that enables users to search for their favourite restaurants and view the prices of the meals served by these restaurants. It has two interfaces: The restaurant management web application and The restaurant locator mobile application. The solution attempts to provide reliable and up to date information on restaurants to users in a manner that is very easy to access at all times. The system is designed developed and tested by a subject matter expert during the research period. The research concludes that the mobile solution would add value to the communication channel between the restaurant owner and customer. It also concludes that the application is ready for the market as it passed all the required tests carried out. The research recommends further work to developing more modules for the system as well as a follow up research to test on the effectiveness of the system.
Use of mobile technology by environmental conservation Bodies to enhance reporting of incidents of illegal dumping of Waste
(Strathmore University, 2013) Mutai, Robert Kipngetich
This research determines and analyzes the challenges that environmental conservation body’s face when trying to deal with the issue of illegal dumping of waste in the area of reporting of such incidents. It looks at how mobile phone technology can be used to help them in this issue.It specifically looks at the issue of illegal dumping of waste in undesignated areas within Nairobi. At the conclusion of the research, there is the development of a mobile and web application that the environmental conservation bodies will use in reporting of cases of illegal dumping of waste as well as in interacting with the public in the process of information sharing.
The Implementation of a Mobile Application for enhancing School Home Communication for day Secondary Schools in Nairobi
(Strathmore University, 2013) Mukuma, Augustine Kimau
Parent involvement in their children‟s education helps ensure children's education success. The importance of parental involvement as an accelerating and motivating factor in their children's education is a worldwide accepted fact. Communication of information by school to parents about school activities and students‟ progress is an essential part of achieving parent involvement in their children‟s education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, parental participation involves “the participation of parents in regular, two-way communication involving students' academic learning and other school activities”. It is undisputable that ICT can be used to enrich and enhance communication between school and parents and thereby enable parents to be more involved in their children‟s education. With this premise, the researcher embarked on a research to analyze how high schools in Nairobi are using ICT for school home communication. The research revealed that high schools in Nairobi are not exploiting ICT to facilitate communication between school and parents. The major challenge for schools towards embracing ICT for school home communication was the lack of access to ICT tools such as the computer and the internet by a majority of parents, plus the lack of time needed by both teachers and parents to engage in frequent communication about children‟s education. High schools in Nairobi are therefore not utilizing an important resource which could help school and parents engage in effective communication that can increase parent involvement in their children‟s education and consequently achieve child success. Seeking to find a way of using ICT to enhance teacher-parent communication to the effect of increasing the involvement of parents in their children's education, the study suggests that the high proliferation of mobile phone ownership provides a suitable platform to develop m-communication applications that parents and teachers can use in engaging in frequent two-way communication about children‟s education. The mobility of mobile phones also enables parents and teachers not to worry about the need to find time to sit in front of a computer in order to communicate certain information: they can do it from anywhere. The researcher therefore came up with an implementation of a mobile application to make participation of parents in regular, two-way communication involving their children's education really attainable. A working prototype of this application was developed and tested.
Establishing the success factors for adoption of mobile shopping in Kenya’s retail industry
(Strathmore University, 2013) Ndegwa, Evans Ndungu
Globally, mobile shopping is a multi-billion industry which has been observed to grow at a fast pace. Mobile shopping is one of the electronic commerce types and is at times referred to as mobile storefront. In Kenya, the retail outlets have not been able to deploy mobile shopping for their stores. Despite the high mobile penetration experienced across the country and the relatively high literacy levels, we are yet to see the first mobile shopping deployment. What could be the problem? Why is this multi-billion industry not breaking ground in Kenya? This research paper intends to find out what are the success factors that can lead to adoption of mobile shopping in Kenya viewed from both a retailer and a consumer perspective. The paper also sought to find out if there have been other successful models in other parts of the world and if these models could be replicated here in Kenya. To achieve this, this research made use of different research tools. The research involved development of a mobile shopping model application that was used as a proof of concept in this research. It is against this application together with a questionnaire and a set of interview questions that data was collected and analyzed. From the results obtained, the main factors that could lead to successful adoption are ease of use, usefulness, availability of reliable real-time prices, reusable shopping lists and the ability to compare features and prices of related goods. However, problems in delivery of goods ordered, poor security, fraud and poor application design are some of the factors that can lead to lack of adoption of such an application. It was also found that other successful models have been launched by retail giants such as Wal-Mart, Kruger and Costco, which with few modifications to suit the Kenyan scenario, can be replicated. This paper recommends further research in the factors that make customers prefer one retail outlet to the other to shed more light into other dynamics that may influence introduction of mobile shopping strategy.
Role of mobile technology in anti- counterfeit initiatives in Kenya: case of electronic products
(Strathmore University, 2013) Munga, Harun Karuri
Counterfeiting has had devastating effects in the global market and more especially in recent times. This can be attributed to the fact that counterfeiting has become more sophisticated and as the world transforms into a “global village” its effects are more adverse and far reaching than ever before. Closer home, Kenya is no exception and is among one of country most affected by the continued trade in counterfeits in the region even as industry-wide efforts are made to contain it. Kenya has instituted diverse strategies in the fight against counterfeiting with a view to eradicating it and in recognition of its far reaching effects. However, findings from this research intimate that a good number of the anti counterfeiting measures have not been successful due to several factors but largely due to underfunding to those tasked with fighting the vice especially the Anti Counterfeiting Agency [ACA]. Recent reports in the telecommunication industry in Kenya, suggest that more than half of the population has a mobile device and the number of Kenyans accessing the internet through their mobile devices continues to soar. Additionally, smart phones have continually become cheaper putting them within reach of a majority of Kenyans. The research seeks to opportune on these developments, to provide consumers with a simple, efficient and effective technique to authenticate if a product is genuine or otherwise before making a purchase. Through the use of mobile technology, this research proposes a mobile web authentication solution that can be used to establish the authenticity of products. The solution is available to web enabled smart phones with camera capabilities and a custom Quick Response (QR) code application with consumers receiving a message verifying or rejecting the authenticity of a product.
The use of mobile technology to provide information access and improve service delivery in the petroleum industry: case study of Kenol Kobil Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2013) Gikonyo, Wallace Kamau
Access to and use of mobile telephony in sub-Saharan Africa has increased dramatically over the past decade. Mobile telephony has brought new possibilities to the continent. Mobile phones are becoming a part of the daily culture of almost every petroleum consumer. Mobile traffic increased by 20 percent to 5.1 million minutes as users increased and tariffs declined. Internet users jumped nearly 60 percent to 6.4 million chiefly due to mobile phone data services through 3G networks and the use of mobile phone applications in accessing vital information. Kenya has experienced a rapid increase in mobile phone usage with mobile phone penetration in the country at 51 percent mark in the first quarter of 2011 (CCK, 2011). The country has also been experiencing unstable supply of services, pricing in the petroleum industry and inflation that has resulted in a high cost of living in most parts of the country. Consumers of this commodity have been airing complaints about the high petroleum prices within everyone wanting to access the cheapest station available in order to save on petroleum. Furthermore motorists have found themselves in situations where they have run out of petroleum in an unfamiliar region of the country. This has left many stranded having to walk for miles at times in the wrong direction in search of a petrol station that might just be nearby. Motorists in search situations have been forced to rely on luck and maybe bumping into someone who will give them authentic information as to the location of the nearest station. The aim of this paper was to investigate the current situation in the petroleum industry, and the various challenges faced by both the Petroleum companies and their consumers in accessing the services offered. The paper also presents the implementation of a prototype mobile application running on a real mobile device as a means to tackle the challenges faced by the consumers in accessing service information, and those faced by the petrol companies in providing their services. It outlines the design requirements of the mobile application, a petrol station locator which is then taken to some consumers and feedback gotten to access whether the innovative product is useful.
Mobile hospital services locator : case of hospitals in Nairobi County
(Strathmore University, 2013) Wainaina, Evelyne
To date, In Kenya online hospital rankings are virtually nonexistent. In the U.S. however, in a context where health is more in tune with market forces and consumerism (government agencies and corporations purchasing "care, contacting suppliers about their services,guardianship wishes to standardize the 'Information on the provision of care and promote "informed choice" in patients) sites rating has been around for years. Online rankings differ in their objectives and their methods.This is a documentation that creates awareness of how different hospitals perform their operational services and what best they can give. The proposal considers the outstanding challenges in the way people rate the hospitals and their services. The probable solution to the challenge is discussed in depth. These aspects are covered thorough critical review of the existing literature.A proper explanation of the project has been done. The methodologies and approach to be used as well as the target market have been identified. The proposal also outlines how each milestone shall be achieved and expected deliverables. To wrap it all, an extensive architecture of the proposed solution has been discussed.
Citizens on Patrol
(Strathmore University, 2013-05) Njeri, Mutheki Tropister
Economies the world over thrive on the existence of security and the upholding of laws, police departments are entrusted with both of this roles. Policing has evolved over many centuries having begun back in the 900 A.D. With time the policing modes and styles have changed to suit the needs of people. An emerging concept in the policing world is known as community policing. It’s a policing model that views communities as police partners in solving crimes. This concept is being adopted both in the developed and developing world with visible success. A notable example is the city of Singapore that has been ranked safest city in the world since 1996. Kenya has also adopted community policing and has implemented it in varying degrees throughout the country. This study found out that communities and police officers are not satisfied with the current implementation of community policing. Among the reasons cited was communication, community members are fearful of being seen at the police stations and thus shy away from reporting crimes to the police officers. This study explored ways mobile technology can be used to counter such problems in community policing making it more efficient and effective. From the research 85% of the respondents regarded mobile technology as a practical and simple way to ease communication in community policing. Confidentiality is an issue that community members regard very highly and they want their communication with the police to maintain confidentiality. Both parties involved in community based policing indicated that they would be willing to use technology in implementing community based policing.
A generic framework for implementation of mobile Value Added Services (MVAS)
(Strathmore University, 2013-05) Osure, Raywer Oscar
Mobile Telephony market in Kenya has been characterized by intense competition among the Service providers. This has lead to very low charges for core mobile services such as calls and Short Messaging Service (SMS), thus dwindling revenue from the core sources. It has therefore become imperative for service providers to focus on alternative revenue sources in the form of Value Added Services (VAS), which have the potential of boosting revenue substantially. This coupled by the proliferation of mobile subscribers and high penetration rates of mobile phones locally has opened up a new horizon for Value Added Services Providers (VASPs) and mobile application developers who may wish to reap big in this field. However, the process of implementation of Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) continues to be a challenge particularly to the small and medium sized firms (and application developers or institutions) who in most cases lack the financial muscle. This may in turn impact on their ability to conduct a comprehensive market research in an attempt to cut costs and save time during the implementation and early deployment phases. This may be mitigated if a generic MVAS framework were to be used under such circumstances. According to the research conducted during this study, it became evident that having a clearly defined implementation framework that involves all MVAS stakeholders is critical for the overall success of any MVAS product or service as was the case for Safaricom/Vodacom’s MPESA. In conclusion, this study proposes a generic reconfigurable MVAS architecture with location based capability as the best bet for VASPs and other MVAS developers to use in planning, implementation and deployment of their MVAS.
A Unified Service Delivery Platform for Emerging Mobile Applications
(Strathmore University, 2013-06) James, Magare Silas Omundi
Emerging mobile applications such as Android and J2ME are delivered through application stores while most conventional applications such as Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) and SIM Tool Kit (STK) are provisioned through Mobile networks. The conventional applications seem to have an edge over the emerging counter parts majorly because conventional applications get exposure via mobile operators who command a majority share in the mass market. The research was looking into a possibility of having emerging mobile applications provisioned over the mobile network and the best implementation practice should it succeed. The Literature reviewed found out that, currently, prominent features which make conventional applications technically appealing in the network such as OTA auto provisioning, are not fully in place for emerging mobile applications. Research found out that, successful realization of the platform is depended upon good security framework, user preference and technology. Henceforth, it found out that, it is possible for some features proposed in the research to be implemented within the current generation of networks, but it will strain the resources, hence, a need for expansion of the current network to accommodate the increasing demand of emerging mobile applications. Therefore, most of the features this research envisioned will be fully implemented in the next generation of networks which will be IP based. In the current network scenario, developers need to come up with hybrid applications involving integration of conventional and emerging mobile applications for best benefits. Finally, there is an urgent need for a synergy between mobile operators, device manufacturers and mobile platforms providers to speed up the realization of a robust unified service delivery platform for emerging mobile applications.
Accessing Maternal Healthcare Information Using A Mobile Application
(2013-11-14) Kioko, Shadrack
The ubiquity and penetration of mobile phones in Sub-Saharan Africa presents the opportunity to leverage maternal care information provision in both prenatal and postnatal cases. The slow progress and funding constraints in attaining the Millennium Development Goals for child and maternal health encourage harnessing innovative measures, such as mHealth, to address these public health priorities. Mobile health (mHealth) encompasses the use of mobile telecommunication and multimedia into increasingly mobile and wireless health care delivery systems and has the potential to improve tens of thousands of lives each year. Being pregnant can be very challenging to mothers especially if they are expecting for the first time. In Kenya, many women rely on information that is down from one to another which may not be accurate as experience from each pregnancy can be different from one pregnancy to the other and from one person to another. Matters are made worse when information past down is mixed with cultural taboo. The aim of this research was to determine the challenges expectant women face when accessing maternal healthcare information in Kenya, to determine the current sources of the information and their limitations, determine the design requirements, the best mobile platform to develop the mobile application on and lastly to develop and test the mobile application. The findings of this research show that only a few expectant women currently access information from Internet sources. In developed countries, mobile phones are widely used to provide maternal healthcare information through mobile applications, SMS. In Kenya, few women use mobile and Internet to access this information because they rely on books, stories and doctors information which they receive rarely. The research established that mHealth has a great potential in increasing access to maternal information in developing countries. LEA, a Java based mobile application, was developed to provide maternal healthcare information to expectant women. It represents a proof of concept that mobile applications lead to sustainable prenatal and neonatal mHealth services.

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