Project information

StatusFinalist
URLGo to website
CategoryHealth
Health promotion
CountryIndia
Operational areasUrban, Rural
Target groupsChildren, Youth, Women, Men, Seniors
Fixed connectionDSL
Wireless connectionGSM, CDMA , NA
Access pointsGovernment office, Business, Home, School, Library, Telecenter, Cafe
InteractDesktop Computer, Cellphone, Laptop, PDA
Software License TypesOpen Source, Proprietary

Project location

Random images Challenge 2008

Freedom HIV/AIDS - Mobile Phone Games and Health Management Applications to combat HIV/AIDS

  • Brief description

  • Freedom HIV/AIDS is the largest social initiative using mobile phone games and mobile health management solutions & tools to fight HIV/AIDS, reaching to over 42 million users in Asia and Africa.

  • Vision, Objectives and Goals

  • The projects aims to serve as the prime resource center for knowledge and health management tools on HIV/AIDS using the reach of mobile phone networks. The project uses unique methodology of creating awareness through mobile phone games.

    Freedom HIV/AIDS is a pioneering initiative to create awareness about HIV/AIDS to under-privileged communities of the world through the mobile games.
    The project is innovative in 2 ways; firstly for the methodology of presentation of highly serious information by using Games, and secondly the mode of dissemination by exploiting the reach of mobile networks. 

  • Spread of HIV/AIDS and the reach of Mobile devices have taken place simultaneously. Such a wide spread disease can only be controlled a technology with a great reach to the masses. Mobile phones are the most prevalent technology tools in the hands of common people.
  • HIV/AIDS is a global problem and Freedom HIV/AIDS proposes a global solution to create awareness and disease management.
  • Freedom HIV/AIDS can not only help in controlling the epidemic but also support to manage the people living with HIV/AIDS in prolonging their lives and ensuring better health.
  • The solution is highly cost-effective.

    • Under the initiative, a mobile-based Health Care and Treatment System/Application is developed which will cater to People Living with HIV/AIDS to manage their health. This will be first tested within the structure of Delhi State AIDS Control Society (Govt. Of Delhi, India) and later will be scaled for National and Global implementation.

    Besides combating HIV/AIDS, the project also plans to replicate the model for other health hazards and diseases like Tuberculosis, Malaria, Smoking, Diabetes, Women and Pre-natal Care and Hand-Washing. It’s a long-term project, which is targeted to fight global diseases, epidemics and disasters.

    • The initiative was launched on 1st December 2005, with the launch of 4 mobile games on Reliance Infocomm network in India. The project reached to over 12 million users.
    • Later between February 2006-September 2006 launched 4 more games across other GSM operators in India, enabling the reach to over 30 million mobile phone users.
    • In November 2006, the initiative collaborated with Hivos, the Dutch Development Agency to take the games to Africa under the Star program. The first phase of the initaitive with 2 new games were developed for Kenya and will be launched in Nairobi on October 3, 2007. More local games are being developed to target the countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa and Namibia, Malawi and Mozambique in South Africa.
    • In the year 2007-2008 initiative plans to launch local language games for East Europe, South East Asia and Latin America.
    • Initiative will also launch M-CST Manager (mobile Care, Support and Treatment Manager and System) for people living with HIV/AIDS. The project will be first piloted in the state of Delhi.
    • In the year 2008, the initiative will start games and mobile learning applications on TB and Malaria for Africa.

    The project has been commended globally. For more information visit: http://www.freedomhivaids.in/Awards.htm

  • How does ICT contribute to the organisational objectives
  • Freedom HIV/AIDS is the first and the largest social initiative, which uses the reach of mobile networks and devices to combat HIV/AIDS. The mobile phone games software, mobile health management software and evaluation & monitoring tools form the integral part of the initiative. All the software and tools developed are proprietary of the project and the organization. It is a primarily an ICT Centric project using the power and the reach of Mobile phones in the world.

    Over the last 10 years the reach of mobile has increased not only in the urban areas but also in the rural areas at the grass-root level. Mobile is the most common tool in the hands of a common man across the globe. The Mobile device is the device of the future and the project uses the strength and reach of this ICT device to bridge the digital divide.

    There are a also many proprietary Client and Server applications and other support tools which are integral Software components of Freedom HIV/AIDS Mobile Phone Games Applications and mobile Health Management System.  Some of the important tools developed under the initiative are back-end Monitoring and Evaluation Systems designed to monitor Gaming performances of the users to capture Learning Gaps and Predict Behavior Change. As part of the Mobile Care Support and Treatment System, five major additional software components are developed to support the mobile-CST Manager and the tools are Z-Counselor, Z-ART, Z-Lab, Z-Clinic, Z-Care, which support the Mobile Care, Support and Treatment System. For detailed description of these tools visit: http://www.freedomhivaids.in/mCST.htm

  • Transferability
  • The project can be implemented and replicated in a strong partnership with local NGOs, Local Mobile Operators, Local Government Organizations and building a small team of mobile games and application developers.1. Local NGOS will provide the base of dissemination and helping in creating content/ games with local knowledge. It is important to design games, which are popular with local people.2. Local Mobile Networks will provide the infrastructure to disseminate the games and applications. Also, they help in promoting the games through constant SMSs to mobile phone users. 3. Government Organizations, Health Department and NGOS working with people living with HIV/AIDS provide access to their structure of administration and tools, which can be made available through the mobile devices. For Example the information about availability of ART Medication (Anti-Retroviral Treatment and Medication) can be provided to patients who are entitled for the same. The VCTC Center can send information about CD4 Count and Due Diagnostic to its patients.

    The applications are ready which just need a small technical team to port the applications and games in their local environment. The project is easy to replicate and scale.

  • Project summary

  • Freedom HIV/AIDS is a Mobile resource center to fight HIV/AIDS, with a constant process of developing new games and applications. The initiative has developed over 16 different types of games and applications. There is always a need to replenish old games and tools with new games. Also as the scope and the scale of the project is increasing new mobile applications and tools are being designed regularly. Some of the most popular games are Safety Cricket, Red Ribbon Chase, Quiz with Babu, The Great Escape, AIDS Messenger, Game of Life and AIDS penalty Shoot out.

    Ongoing Development:

  • The initiative is developing 8 more local/regional games for HIV/AIDS awareness and dissemination. The games are developed in local Indian languages, namely Telugu, Marathi, Kannada and Hindi.
  • Initiative is also developing local African games for 6 states of Africa, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia and Mozambique.
  •  On 1st December 2007, the initiative will launch mobile-based Care, Support & Treatment Manager (MCST) developed to address the health management needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS. The project will be piloted with the Health Support structure of Delhi State AIDS Control Society, Government of India. The proposed CST Manager (Care, Support & Treatment Manager) is a client-server application with secure encrypted database to protect and maintain confidentiality of the patients. The application will be able to monitor their health in two modes – Single Patient Management and Group Management (for organizations working with PLHWAs. The primary function is to address logistical challenges in developing countries, such as the provision and distribution of Anti-Retroviral Treatments (ART), continuous patient monitoring and communication of relevant data. The application will have a drug and treatment manager, test and diagnostic manager, nutritional planner and other support systems related to HIV/AIDS counseling and support. This is achieved through the use of innovative software supported by existing technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet.
  • In the year 2008, the initiative will start developing new games and applications to address the issues related to Tuberculosis and Malaria. Also, Pre-natal Care and Support tools will be developed provide care and support information to women in remote villages.