Mobile-phone Revolution

"Africa has witnessed some remarkable technological leaps. A decade ago, telecoms infrastructure was almost non-existent. Today, one in six people owns a mobile phone, the benefits which go far beyond easy communication. Africa has pioneered the use of mobile banking (...).

Mobile money and digital wallets accessed on cellphones eliminate the need for physical cash in rural areas, where financial services are limited and carrying large amounts of money is risky.

Joining this mobile-phone revolution, Novartis is working with five African governments and private-sector partners to improve drug distribution and monitor the supply of anti-malaria medicines in rural areas, using text messaging and electronic mapping. 

Previously, patients would travel to distant health clinics only to find that the medicines that they needed were no longer in stock. Now, thanks to the SMS for Life Project, vital medicines can be quickly redistributed to where they are most needed."

Joseph Jimenez (CEO of Novartis), A Healthier, Wealthier Africa

2014