October 2, 2007

Snd HIV/AIDS Info 2 Me Pls

A nonprofit organization in Cape Town, South Africa, called Cell-Life plans to start using cell phones to allow people to access cheap, reliable information about HIV/AIDS.

The company has already created technology that helps health care workers monitor HIV-positive patients, and has created a tracking system for HIV meds dispensed by hospitals and clinics. Now, with help from several HIV/AIDS service organizations, Cell-Life will start providing answers to common questions about HIV, educational text and images to cell phone users, free of charge.

"South Africa has a bizarrely high level of cell phone usage—about three quarters of teens and adults have cell phones, and those that don't can borrow one from a neighbor or colleague," said Peter Benjamin of Cell-Life. South Africa has one of the world’s worst HIV/AIDS epidemics. It also has the best cell phone infrastructure on the African continent, according to Benjamin.