mHealth system targets HIV, AIDS in Africa

A new mobile health management system is supporting HIV and AIDS treatment in Lesotho, Africa. Developed and rolled out by Vista Life Sciences, in conjunction with the U.S. President's Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Vista mHealth system lets medical workers ensure quality and continuity of care by using mobile technology to access electronic records for patient assessments and interventions.

The company began implementing this Phase II HIV/AIDS clinical/mobile healthcare management system in June 2010 at the Makoyane HIV/AIDS Wellness Centre in Lesotho’s capital, Maseru.

According to a company statement, using the Vista netbook-based application, more than 20,000 patient encounters have already been entered, covering years of treatment. This conversion from a paper-based system to electronic health records enables mobile health vans to access electronic records throughout rural regions of Lesotho.

PEPFAR funds for the Vista LifeSciences Lesotho program are administered by the Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program.

Photo obtained from Vista Life Sciences.