Global Health Academy at the London mHealth Conference

Members of the Global Health Academy (GHA) participated in the recent mHealth conference organised by University College London, which focused on the use of mobile phone platforms to deliver health interventions in low and medium income countries.

Speakers included WHO Scientist Garret Mehl, Professor Alain Labrique from Johns Hopkins University, Dr Caroline Free from LSHTM, and Ethiopian Minister for Health Dr K Adamasu, who had earlier met with colleagues from the GHA.

Dr Claudia Pagliari (GHA) spoke in a panel session focused on the challenges for evaluation of mHealth tools and services. Her presentation centred on the need for an appreciation of the different ‘cultures' of evaluation - comparing the agendas of academia, business and donor agencies - and about the need to understand the complexities of mHealth interventions in order to fully understand their influences - reflecting on the difference between 'strong designs with weak understanding and weak designs with strong understanding’.

There is a need to understand mHealth in the context of the whole health system and its potential to add value as part of a richer health informatics environment

A recording of Dr Pagliari's session is available below, along with a poster for the Edinburgh MSc in Global eHealth submitted by our mHealth course Lead Developer and Instructor, Isaac Holeman (Medic Mobile). Hamish Fraser, course tutor on our MSc in Global eHealth, also attended.