Remind me, Track my mood and I will adhere to treatment – Introducing the KidzAlive@Home App!
We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the KidzAlive Mobilised project through our partnership with Qualcomm Wireless Reach.
The KidzAlive@Home App – Empowering children and adolescents living with HIV by strengthening adherence at home.
Developed as a mobile health (mHealth) intervention, the innovative KidzAlive@Home App has been designed to revolutionise medication adherence among children and adolescents living with HIV. This initiative is especially crucial in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where the HIV epidemic affects both adults and children, and where historically, health services and information have often been delivered in languages not native to the local population.
Outside of clinical settings, children and adolescents living with HIV often lack the necessary tools and support to manage their wellness effectively. Despite the availability of medication apps for chronic conditions, there's a significant gap in apps tailored to the unique needs of children and adolescents living with HIV.
The KidzAlive@Home app harnesses the ubiquity of mobile phones in low-resource settings to provide targeted mHealth interventions. By incorporating creative and interactive features, the app engages, educates, and reinforces positive adherence and wellness behaviours among children and adolescents living with HIV.
Our goal is to transform children and adolescents from passive bystanders to active participants in their health management, empowering them to take charge of their well-being.
This app caters to a wide range of scenarios, targeting children who are newly diagnosed with HIV and initiated on treatment, already on treatment, and adherent or non-adherent.
By addressing critical factors like forgetfulness, stigma, and limited knowledge, the app seeks to enhance overall health outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV.
Age-Appropriate Medicine Reminders
The app provides gentle, age-appropriate reminders for children to take their antiretroviral medications, ensuring they never miss a dose.
Mood and Physical Well-being Tracking
Children have the power to express their emotions by selecting their mood and indicating their physical condition as either feeling unwell or healthy. This interactive feature empowers them to take charge of their well-being.
Caregiver Support
Caregivers can set clinic appointment reminders and access daily summary reports of the child's medication intake and mood. This involvement enhances the caregiver’s ability to provide comprehensive support.
Thanks to the generous support from Qualcomm Wireless Reach, we have now reached a pivotal moment. After extensive research, prototype design, development, and internal testing, we are excited to begin the beta testing phase of the app in November 2023.
The first version of the KidzAlive@Home App will be tested with ±50 households in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, for 12 weeks. This phase will allow us to gather valuable feedback, refine the app further, and ensure it meets the unique needs of our target beneficiaries and their caregivers.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to work towards a future where every child and adolescent has the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.
