Background Health workers have traditionally delivered health promotion and education to rural communities in the Global South in paper leaflet formats or orally. With the rise of digital technologies, health promotion and education can be provided in innovative and more effective formats, which are believed to have a higher impact on disease prevention and treatment. Objective The aim of this tutorial is to illustrate how a multi- and interdisciplinary approach can be applied in the design process of digital health messages for use in the Global South. Methods The multi- and interdisciplinary team of the Non-discriminating access for Digital Inclusion (DigI) project digitalized and customized available government-approved paper-based health promotion messages into a screen-suitable format. The team worked closely together and used its diverse expertise to develop digital health messages with disease-specific content in Tanzania’s national language (Swahili) as well as English. The development process included the following phases: a local needs assessment; identification of government-approved health promotion materials in a nondigital format; identification of key health messages; creation of a practical and engaging story, easy to understand for the general public; drafting of a storyboard for an animated video with review, feedback, and revisions; forward and backward translation; audio recording of the story in both languages; finalization and presentation of the animations; development of relevant questions related to the health messages in each domain; and development of web and mobile apps to access the digital health messages. Results Between 2017 and 2019, we developed key health messages, quizzes, and animated health videos to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Taenia solium cysticercosis and taeniasis, and anthrax, all of which are of public health importance in Tanzania. Feedback from local stakeholders and test users was included in various phases of the process. The 4 videos and other content are available in local information spots on a digital health platform (DigI platform), established by the DigI project, in both Tanzanian Swahili and English. Conclusions Our methodological multi- and interdisciplinary approach ensures that the digital health messages for the public are clear, high quality, and align with the government’s objectives for health promotion. It also demonstrates the diversity of scientific disciplines required when collaborating on a digital health project. We recommend this approach to be applied to the development of other digital health messages for a wide range of diseases. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/25128
BACKGROUND Health workers have traditionally delivered health promotion and education to rural communities in the Global South in paper leaflet formats or orally. With the rise of digital technologies, health promotion and education can be provided in innovative and more effective formats, which are believed to have a higher impact on disease prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVE Using a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of this project was to develop short and simple digital health educational messages for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis and anthrax for rural communities in Tanzania. METHODS The multidisciplinary team of the Non-discriminating Access for Digital Inclusion (DigI) project digitalised and customised available government-approved paper-based health promotion messages into a screen suitable format. The team worked closely together and utilised its diverse expertise to develop the digital health messages with disease-specific content, in Tanzania's national language (Swahili) as well as English. The development process included the following phases: 1) a local needs assessment; 2) identification of government-approved health promotion materials in a non-digital format; 3) identification of key health messages for each of the five relevant domains (prevalence, cause/transmission, signs/symptoms, treatment and prevention); 4) creation of a practical and engaging story, easy to understand for the general public; 5) drafting of a storyboard for an animated video with review, feedback and revisions; 6) forward and backward translation from English to Swahili; 7) audio recording of the story in both languages; 8) finalisation and presentation for the animations; 9) development of relevant quiz questions related to the health messages in each domain; and 10) development of web and mobile applications to access the digital health messages. RESULTS Between 2017 and 2019, we developed key health messages, quizzes and animated health videos to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis and anthrax, which are all of public health importance in Tanzania. The four videos and other contents are available on a digital health platform (DigI platform), established by the DigI project, in both Swahili and English. CONCLUSIONS Our methodological multidisciplinary approach ensures that the digital health messages for the public are clear, high quality and align with the government objectives for health promotion. It also demonstrates the diversity of scientific disciplines required when collaborating on a digital health project. We recommend this approach to be applied to the development of other digital health messages for a wide range of diseases. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-25128
Background Porcine cysticercosis is endemic in Tanzania, especially in the southern, central part and northern highlands of the country. The disease reduces meat quality and affects pig industry. This study investigated porcine cysticercosis prevalence and possible risk factors for reference in preparation for sustainable control measures. Methods Current seroprevalence and potential risk factors were studied in selected ward/villages of Iringa district council, in the southern highland of Tanzania, prior to a digital health education intervention. A total of 346 pigs from 88 households of Izazi, Migoli and Mlowa wards were studied using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects Taenia species antigens (Ag) in sera. Questionnaire used to dig information on pig management and sanitation and hygiene practices. Results The AgELISA detected 22.3% of the surveyed pigs as positive for porcine cysticercosis. The detected porcine cysticercosis seropositivity ranged between 21.3% and 25.7% per individual ward, with at least one seropositive pig in 53.4% of the surveyed households. Confining pigs was significantly related to low porcine cysticercosis seropositivity (OR = 2.426; 95% CI = 1.202–5.300; p = 0.026), whereas scavenging pigs had two times chance of being Ag-ELISA seropositive. Conclusions Pig confinement and feeding skills and community sensitization on hygiene and sanitation are recommended. Therefore, practical ways of delivering health education to rural communities such as the studied community should be investigated.
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