Bull World Health Organ vol.90 no.5 Genebra Mai. 2012 Note for
the Media WHO/Bulletin May 2012 Mobile phones transforming HIV
testing in Africa The time it takes to communicate a HIV test
result to a patient's health facility can be dramatically
reduced by using mobile phone text messaging, according to
research in a special e-health theme issue of the Bulletin of
the World Health Organization (WHO), published this month in
print and online. Scientists carrying out research in Zambia
found that the turnaround times for delivering a diagnosis via
SMS were almost twice as fast compared to traditional postal
methods. The study found that average time for result
notification to a health facility fell from 44.2 days to 26.7
days. "We believe that this research signals how the processes
behind testing of HIV and other illnesses can be transformed and
improved through mobile phone technology, ensuring that
healthcare facilities and patients are provided with their
results far more quickly," said Phil Seidenberg of B