When you think about Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, questions of health care, rural African villages, and humanitarian aid are not the first things that pop up in your mind.  Although, social networking sites are oftentimes used for social purposes, they have one prevailing positive attribute: the ability to “spread the word” to hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Whether it be Facebook groups asking users to “like” actress, Megan Fox, or sites like YouTube that turn a 14-year old kid with a web cam into Justin Beiber, social networking sites certainly get the message across.

And its relevance to provision of basic health care to people in African countries? Assuming that the average American has no idea about the current state of health care systems in rural African villages, a simple Tweet, Facebook post, or blog can spread the experiences and needs of rural health systems to a person with a computer or smart phone in New York, London, Beijing, Cape Town, and even small town America. Social media (through the internet) is a relatively new phenomenon with capabilities beyond that which any kind of campaign or social movement has ever experienced.

As the m-Health conference concluded, one of the biggest headlines was the expectation of 500 million mobile health devices being used on the African continent in the next 5 years. If 500 million is the number of mobile health devices (typically cell phones) used on the African continent, internet and cell phone use among people in African countries must be enormously higher. Thus, the potential for a strong, direct connection between people living and working in African countries with people living and working in Iowa, Florida, and Michigan is incredible.

According to a study done by the Society for New Communications Research, the nonprofit world uses social media more than any other social institution. The opportunity for global connection and cooperation are endless when social media is employed to its fullest.  Despite trivial, superficial and admittedly negative effects of the ever growing social media movement, do you think social media should be considered as a useful force in providing health access, care and development to African countries? What are some of the downsides of this new social media revolution?

Photo Credit: African Health Platform

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Bringing everything full circle, Alanna Shaikh provides us with a repost: Why you can’t understand global health

Alanna reminds us all that if we overlook the intricate relationship between poverty and ill-health then we are set to misunderstand global health. “If you can read this, that’s not you. By definition, you speak English and you have access to the internet. You earn more than a dollar a day. You can’t understand.” For all the talk, analysis, and good intentions – we must remember that it is the poor who know best what interventions will work for better health around the world.

The World Health Organization has released the first ever guidelines for procurement of effective anti-malarial medicines

The guidelines emphasize testing for effective treatment. The WHO cites in 2008 that only 22% of suspected cases were tested in 18 of the reporting African countries. Thanks to new quality assured Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) that use a dip stick, testing is easier and quicker.This emphasis on testing will assist in stemming drug-resistance issues with quick and effective treatment.

South Africa has launched a massive HIV Testing campaign that marks a definite reversal from its past HIV/AIDS initiatives more focused on denial.

Beginning on April 15th, everyone who enters a clinic will be offered an HIV test, regardless of history or symptoms. Every health facility “should” be prepared to test by April, but the larger problem will then be access to medications and clinics have not yet been certified to distribute ARVs, especially those located in remote or peri-urban areas.

One of the few good things that I have heard about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is that most countries are on track to reach the goal on access to clean water.

With 80% of all disease transferred by contaminated or dirty water, this MDG is a critical piece to improving health. Some countries are even set to exceed this goal by 2015. On the flip side the UN reports that unless “huge efforts” are made most countries will fail to achieve the sanitation MDG. This could be an unfortunate setback as clean water sources require proper sanitation to remain clean.

“If you kiss for five minutes you get it” HIV/AIDS in Namibia

This is one of the lessons learned by young students in one of Namibia’s HIV/AIDS after-school courses. The primary student ended by saying, “People with AIDS should keep to themselves.” Some of the teaching may be misguided, but the program offers much needed psychosocial assistance to young children who have difficulty coping. One student learned he was HIV-positive 3 years ago at age 8, but that hasn’t ended his dreams of becoming a doctor someday.

Need HIV/AIDS help? Look on the map!

A new program in East and Central Africa has printed 20,000 road maps that pinpoint the locations of roadside clinics where truck drivers can go for help with HIV/AIDS. One driver said, “Many of us want treatment but at times you might not know where to get it when you are on the road but these maps can help us now.” The wellness centres and clinics have been constructed in areas where high-risk populations converge.

Tweeting Against Malaria

The UN has selected a group of 24 social media envoys to tweet for malaria control. The WHO says that 3.3 billion people (half the world’s population) is at risk for malaria and sub-Saharan Africa is the epicenter where 90% of malaria deaths occur.

Other interesting articles of the week:

• Using mobile phones to fight counterfeit medicine
• Aid workers struggle to reach cyclone-hit villages
• Kenya Acts to stem cross-border HIV spread
• HIV/AIDS situation alarming at Tanzanian colleges
• New medical school launching in Uganda
• Cholera situation “stationary” in Mozambique