SUPORTING CESSATION USING MOBILE PHONE: THE BE HE@LTHY BE MOBILE INITIATIVE
Susannah Robinson. The Be He@lthy Be Mobile initiative, WHO
In order to expand access to tobacco cessation services, the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun looking at how mobile technology can be used to deliver cessation support. Evidence from clinical trials indicates that SMS-based tobacco cessation (mTobaccoCessation) can increase the chances of a successful quit attempt, especially when used alongside traditional cessation services.
In partnership with the UN agency for ICTs, the International Telecommunications Union, WHO has founded an initiative which helps governments introduce large-scale mTobaccoCessation services. The initiative, Be He@lthy, Be Mobile, shares evidence-based best practices with countries to create sustainable mobile-based services to help people quit tobacco. Country experiences and additional content are then collated into a global evidence base for other countries to use for their own programs.
This presentation will explain how Be He@lthy, Be Mobile works with global experts and national governments to create the programs, and will look at some of the country programs which have been launched to date. It will also consider how this technology can help the global community meet the targets for tobacco and health outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Susannah Robinson is a consultant for the World Health Organization, where she supports country implementation of mHealth programs for noncommunicable diseases. Prior to joining WHO she worked with the UK Cabinet Office and has experience in international development policy and investment philanthropy. She holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.