The mHIFA Working Group is leading the HIFA community in achieving Mobile Healthcare Information For All, with a focus on information for citizens, parents and children. Recent years have seen an explosion in the use of mobile phones in low and middle income countries (LMICs). This transformation in communication, especially in areas where electricity and infrastructure is scarce, represents a unique opportunity to revolutionise access to health information.

Access to the health research literature is fundamental to global health and the progressive realisation of the right to health. Researchers, policymakers, health professionals and citizens need access to peer-reviewed research, relevant to their context, and in a language they can understand.

‘Globally, most prescribers receive most of their prescribing information from the pharmaceutical industry and in many countries this is the only information they receive.’ World Medicines Report, WHO

The availability of relevant, reliable information on medicines is a prerequisite for the delivery of effective care. Misuse of medicines, and especially antibiotics, is increasingly recognised as a threat to global health.  

Funding opportunity: The HIFA CHW project aims to contribute to the HIFA-WHO Collaboration Plan 2022-24, specifically to:

Tens of thousands of deaths occur needlessly every day in low- and middle-income countries, simply because of failure to provide life-saving interventions. Very often, these interventions are locally available but are not provided because of lack of basic healthcare knowledge among citizens, parents and children. This leads to failure to recognise serious illness and delays in seeking appropriate health care. In many countries in Africa, for example, more than 80% of child deaths occur in the home or en route to a healthcare facility.