Tanzanian clinic uses mobile payments to facilitate treatment

Mobile payment systems have seen a surge of growth in Africa, with many businesses and individuals benefiting from the safe, low-cost alternative that they provide. However, we’ve recently come across a novel application that harnesses this technology to deliver healthcare to women in rural Tanzania. The Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania clinic (CCBRT), based in Dar es Salaam, is one of the few places in the country that can perform corrective surgery for fistula — a stigmatised condition sometimes developed after traumatic childbirth. Using Vodafone’s M-Pesa service, the clinic can send transport grants directly to patients to cover the average USD 60 cost of a round-trip from rural Tanzania. In a country where many live on USD 2 per day, the financial assistance they receive is crucial in allowing treatment, and has seen a surge in operations at the clinic. The M-Pesa system and its competitors continue to see rapid growth, particularly in areas such as East Africa where citizens with mobile phones vastly outnumber those with bank accounts. Not only do mobile money transfer services promise a market poised for further growth, they also provide opportunities to help in the poorest communities around the world. And, as CCBRT has shown, there is still endless room for innovation… Spotted by: textually.org via Judy McRae