The use of mobile phones is very necessary especially in conflict affected countries. In Cameroon where there is a conflict, mobile phones are used to send reports and statistics to the regional level. Health supervisors can no longer move to local health units or District Health Services to perform their duties. Health officials at the local level have become supervisory authorities. Without any formal knowledge to perform these tasks, the local health personnel are required to do this.
Even the District Medical Officers who have abandoned their services depend now only on the local health staff for reports. This is done only with the help of a mobile phone. This is an important topic that should be encouraged especially in conflict and disaster zones of the world.
HIFA profile: Chiabi Benard Ful is Director of Boyo Association for Rural Development (BARUDEV--Cameroon). This is a local NGO found in Boyo district of North Western Cameroon. Our activities are to empower women, protect the sexual and reproductive health for women and girls, and protect the rights of children. We have been training community health workers to follow up patients, pregnant women, sick children and refer them to the hospital. barudev AT yahoo.co.uk
