mHealth: Malnutrition Eradication

Since 2008, the Real Medicine Foundation has worked with the National Government of India and the State Government of Madhya Pradesh in addressing similar health system challenges. Beginning in 2009, RMF embarked on the State of Madhya Pradesh’s largest Community Based Malnutrition Treatment and Eradication Program. RMF’s program in India utilizes 61 Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs) similar to South Sudan’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) to identify, counsel and refer children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). CNEs make regular visits to the communities and in turn record data on children and the community health and nutrition on a case-by-case basis, enabling them to counsel and educate the community on best nutritional practices, provide immediate care and refer severe cases to the nearest health facility for intervention.

In July 2011, RMF partnered with Dimagi Inc. in order to facilitate the transition of paper-based data collection by the CNEs to the use of a mobile phone application tailored to the needs of the program. Data is collected at community level by each CNE based on the application/guidelines in use through CommCare and uploaded on site to a central database. This method of data collection allows for easy access, tracking and follow up of case histories enabling RMF management to monitor CNE work and to determine improvement or deterioration of children’s nutrition status. Information is accessible at the management level aggregated by CNE, district, and individual case.