Project Lead(s): Valéry Ridde
Issue
Health systems in developing countries usually provide poor services to marginalized communities, in part because of the inability of those affected to communicate their problems.
Solution
Working in Burkina Faso, the project team tested the efficacy of a toll-free hotline linked to an interactive voice server (IVS) to improve health governance in Burkina Faso.
A first in West Africa, the project aimed to increase patient and staff participation and potentially improve governance, responsiveness and performance of the health system.
Outcome
The results showed that a telephone hotline could be used to improve the delivery of health services in Burkina Faso.
In the initial intake, there were about 10,000 calls; in a subsequent initiative, more than 4,000 calls were recorded. Two-thirds of users found the service useful.
Results from this project have been presented at conferences.