Please join us on July 23, 2020 at 8:30am EDT for our monthly Global Digital Health Network Meeting, hosted by FHI 360 and PATH. Join us online via webinar.
Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YROnDCOYT3eWyshPnSKvUQ
How digital technologies can support self-care
WHO has recently released guidelines on self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health, and has identified July as self-care month. The guidelines note that digital technologies offer new opportunities to expand access to essential health services, but require special considerations—including for privacy and security—and a focus on supporting equity.
July’s GDHN monthly meeting, organized by FHI 360 and Path, will focus on how digital technologies can support self-care. We are excited for a dynamic panel of speakers who will no doubt raise the opportunities and challenges that digital presents.
We will hear from:
- Trinity Zan, Associate Director for Research Utilization at FHI 360, will introduce the panel and speakers.
- Dr. Patricia (Patty) Mechael, co-founder and policy lead at HealthEnabled, a South African based non-profit focused on nationally scaled integrated digital health systems, who will present Digitally-enhanced Self care: A Framework for Design, Implementation, and Research. Digitally-enhanced Self Care Framework, developed by Health Enabled in partnership with the Self-care Trailblazer Group, maps the common touch-points of digital and self-care and aims to provide practical guidance for health program implementers, digital health developers and implementers, advocates and policymakers. This will provide excellent framing for our subsequent speakers.
- Natacha Mugeni, Health Coordinator in Rwanda for Kasha, will present on Kasha, a platform built specifically for women in Africa where women can confidentially order personal care, hygiene and pharmaceutical products using USSD Shortcode or website and receive direct delivery. Kasha offers women the opportunity to confidentially access information and products, including sexual and reproductive health products, supporting all three dimensions of self-care—self-awareness, self-testing, and self-management (per WHO framework).
- Dr. Lis Dulli, Scientist in Health Services Research at FHI 630, will present SMART (Social Media to promote Adherence and Retention in Treatment) Connections, an online, structured, support group intervention for youth living with HIV (YLHIV). SMART Connections was developed by FHI 360 on behalf of USAID’s YouthPower Action Project and was implemented by trained HIV support group facilitators through “secret” Facebook™ groups in the Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in south-central Nigeria. This intervention also supports the three dimensions of self-care.
- Martha Brady, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health at PATH and member of the Self-care Trailblazers Group’s Steering Committee, will facilitate a Q&A.