Founded in August 2009, the mHealth Working Group is a collaborative forum for sharing and synthesizing knowledge on mHealth, facilitated and supported by the K4Health Project. It seeks to frame mobile technology within a larger global health strategy. By applying public health standards and practices to mHealth, we promote approaches that are appropriate, evidence-based, scalable and interoperable in resource-poor settings. The goals of the mHealth Working Group are to: 

The mHealth Toolkit builds on the knowledge sharing of the mHealth Working Group, which began in August of 2009 as a collaborative forum for sharing and synthesizing knowledge. The mHealth Working Group holds regular meetings in Washington, DC to discuss promising approaches, challenges and lessons learned. Invited speakers also present on topics of interest to the group. Please see below for minutes and presentions from past meetings.

The mHealth Working Group is coordinated by Kelly Keisling and Laura Raney of FHI. The mHealth Working Group also has a moderated listserv for members to share announcements and discussions. You can send a message to the group at: mhealth@my.ibpinitiative.org

Organizations Participating in the mHealth Working Group

Over 675 participants and contributors from over 200 organizations in 34 countries participate in the mHealth Working Group. Participating organizations include Abt Associates, AED Satellife, Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, BroadReach Healthcare, Catholic Relief Services, Center for Communication Programs- Johns Hopkins University, CORE Group, D-Tree International, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, FHI 360, Futures Group, ICF Macro, Institute for Reproductive Health- Georgetown University, International Center for Research on Women, Jhpiego, John Snow Inc., Knowledge for Health, Management Sciences for Health, PATH, Plan, Population Services International, Save the Children, SixBlue Data, UN Foundation-mHealth Alliance, USAID, and the World Bank.

Join the mHealth Listserv  

mHealth Working Group Meeting Minutes

The mHealth Working Group meets regularly to discuss issues, challenges, and lessons learned in the proper development of mHealth. Please see the meeting links below for notes and guest presentations on these topics.  

The next mHealth Working Group meeting will be held on May 22nd from 9:30-11:30 am EDT to discuss organizational strategy for mHealth. The meeting will be hosted by Save the Children at 2000 L Street NW, Suite 500. The meeting is available remotely: in US or via Skype: 1-866-386-4210, international: 1-433-863-6601, code: 634 879 6591. Participant experiences with organizational strategy in e/mHealth is welcome for discussion.

May 22, 2012 9:30 - 11:30 am

• Topic: Organizational Strategy for mHealth
• Location: Save the Children, 2000 L Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC
• Presenters: Jeanne Koepsell, Save the Children; Adam Slote, USAID Bureau for Global Health; Rebecca S. Levine, Save the Children/MCHIP

April 26, 2012 - 9:00 - 11:30 am

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, 1901 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington DC. Topic: mHealth Projects - Where are they now?
  Presenters: Pam Riley, Abt Associates; James Bon Tempo, Jhpiego; Neil Lesh, Dimagi; Heather Vahdat, FHI360; and Meredith Puleio, IRH 

March 16, 2012

• Location: Abt Associates, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North, Bethesda, MD
• Topics: mHealth for behavior change communications and release of the mBCC Field Guide
  Presenters: Gael O'Sullivan, Abt Associates

January 24, 2012

• Location: PSI, 1120 19th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC
• Topics: 2011 mHealth Summit, the 2011 International Conference on Family Planning, and mHealth plans for 2012

December 7, 2011

• Location:GBCHealth at the mHealth Summit, National Harbor, MD
• Topics: Paper on Public Private Partnerships in mHealth
• Presenters: Erin Mote (USAID), Paul Ellingstad (HP),  Sarah Sanders (Vodafone), Rodrigo Saucedo (Carlos Slim Health Institute), Jon Tigges (Deloitte), Vicky Hausman (Dalberg)

December 1, 2011

• Location: Deloitte Consulting, 555 12th Street NW, 5th Floor, Room 5001, Washington, DC
• Topics: Developing a National mHealth Strategy
• Presenters: Claud Kumalija,Dr. Mwendwa Mwenesi, and Marcos Mzeru  (Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), Jon Tigges and Nathaniel Clarke (Deloitte Consulting), Sarah Emerson (CDC Foundation), Steve Ollis (COO for D-tree International and co-chair of the Tanzania mHealth Community of Practice) 

November 29, 2011 

• Location: The Aspen Institute, 1 Dupont Circle, #700, Washington, DC 20036
• Topic: Small Enterprise Development for Sustainability in mHealth 
• Panelists: James BonTempo (Jhpiego), Nate Barthel (CodedinCountry.org), Kristin Peterson (Inveneo), Kelly Keisling (mHealth Working Group)

November 18, 2011

• Location: PAHO/WHO, 525 Twenty-third Street, N.W., Washington, DC Room 107
• Topics: eHealth Strategy and Plan of Action for the Americas
• Presenters: Marcelo D'Agostino and Carolina Danovaro (PAHO/WHO), K4Health 

October 20, 2011

• Location: Jhpiego DC, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington DC
• Topics: Innovative methods for monitoring and evaluating mHealth projects
• Presenters: James BonTempo (Jhpiego), Dr. Kelly L'Engle (FHI360), Dr. Richard Garfield (School of Nursing and Public Health, Columbia University)

September 27, 2011

• Location: USAID Mezzanine Library Information Center, Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, DC
• Topics: Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA), Health Unbound (HUB), National mHealth Strategy Workshop in Tanzania
• Presenters: Sandhya Rao (USAID), Pamela Riley (Abt Associates), Cat Meurn (mHealth Alliance), Soma Ghoshal (mHealth Alliance), Jon Tigges (Deloitte Consulting)

July 20, 2011

• Location: John Snow, Inc. (JSI) 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 12th floor, Rosslyn, VA
• Topic Coordination of mHealth, Health Informatics, Reflections on mHealth Summit, New HUB website
• Presenters: Michael Frost (JSI), Michael Gehron (OGAC), John Novak (USAID), Peggy D'Adamo (USAID), and David Haddad (mHealth Alliance)

May 23, 2011

• Location: World Bank, 1818 H Street, Washington, DC - RSVP required! Contact Laura Raney (lraney@fhi.org) or Kelly Keisling (keisling.kelly@gmail.com).
• Topic: New Frontiers in Global Health: e/mHealth at the World Bank: Designs, Approaches and Emerging Trends
• Chair: Philippe Dongier, Manager, ICT Sector Unit
• Presenters: Feng Zhao (Africa), Akiko Maeda (MENA), Zlatan Sabic (ECA), Fernando Montenegro Torres and Carmen Carpio (LAC)

April 20, 2011

• Location: FHI Arlington, VA
• Topic: mHealth for HIV/AIDS service delivery
• Presenters: Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy of the World Bank and UNC School of Public Health, Marcha Neethling of the Praekelt Foundation andDr. Andrew Kumwenda of FHI/Zambia

March 23, 2011

• Location: AED Washington, DC
• Topics: Mobile phone-based interventions to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART): a randomized controlled trial of SMS reminders in Kenya,-TxtAlert for ARTappointment reminders and rescheduling in South Africa, Experience from Zambia using mobile phones in a PEPFAR-funded project to prevent maternal to child transmission of HIV through 1) early testing of infants (Results 160) and 2) getting HIV+ babies onto life-saving treatment as soon as possible (RemindMiPresenters: Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy of the World Bank, Marcha Neethling of Praekelt Foundation, and Dr. Andrew Kumwenda of FHI/Zambia
• Presenters: Holly Ladd of AED-SATELLIFE, James Bon Tempo of JHPIEGO, Pamela Riley and Shalu Umapathy of Abt Associates

February 23, 2011

• Location: PSI Washington, DC
• Topic: Supply Chain Management
• Presenters: Daniel Crapper of PSI, Marasi Mwencha of John Snow, Inc.

January 19, 2011

• Location: USAID Washington, DC
• Topic: Presentations on formative research in mHealth
• Presenters: Dr.Rajiv Rimal and Basil Safi of JHUSPH CCP, Meredith Puleio of the Institute for RH, Georgetown University

December 13, 2010

• Location: FHI Arlington, VA
• Topics: Health and ICT organization partnerships in mHealth, Development in mBCC techical group, mHealth summit, Maternal mHealth Initiative
• Presenters: Hajo van Beijima and Heather Vahdat of FHI, Merrick Schaefer of UNICEF

October 26, 2010

• Location: Management Sciences for Health (MSH) Arlington, VA
• Topics: mHealth in Malawi, HUB: Health Alliance Unbound, mBCC guidebook, and the mHealth Summit
• Presenters: Natalie Campbell of MSH, Josh Nesbit of FrontilineSMS:Medic, Jessica Shull of HUB, Stephen Rahaim of Abt Associates

September 15, 2010

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: Developments in the mHealth working group, mHealth for Health Information Systems, and current developments and events in mHealth
• Presenters: Thulani Mbatha of MSH, Scott Ruddick of Mennonite Economic Developemtn Associates, David Lubinski of PATH

July 13, 2010

• Location: Center for Knowledge Societies
• Topics: Current events, mHealth Toolkit feedback, applying the innovation cycle to mHealth, capturing mHealth requirements, recap on ICT for Education Conference, Renaming the Working Group
• Presenters: Dr. Aditya Dev Sood of Center for Knowledge Societies, Janice Cunningham of Applied Innovation and Development Partners, James Bon Tempo of JHPIEGO

June 9, 2010

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: mHealth Toolkit, recent events, Health Informatics Forum, SMS vouchers for insecticide treated nets, mobile data collection
• Presenters: Tim Piper of the Mennonite Economic Development Association (MEDA)

May 12, 2010

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: K4Heath eToolkit, Text4Health, immunization reminders, innovations in mHealth and mobile technology
• Presenters: Dr. Melissa Stockwell Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Population and Family Health at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Mailman School of Public Health

April 6, 2010

• Location: ?
• Topics: Mobile Behavioral Change Communication
• Presenters: Kelly Keisling, JHUCCP K4Health, Carrie Miller and Dina Brick, Catholic Relief Services

February 24, 2010

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: Mobile data collection, recent mHealth events

December 3, 2009

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: mHealth Summit: Data Collection, BCC, and Program Development. Regulation and Public-Private Partnerships

September 9, 2009

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: Synthesizing and framing mHealth information, online knowledge management and collaboration, prioritizing issues, program categories, and related subgroups, preparation for mHealth Summit
• Presenters: Dr. Neal Lesh of D-tree International, Dimagi

August 6, 2009

• Location: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) Washington, DC
• Topics: Defining needs, framing and synthesizing information, research data, mobile technology, sustainability and next steps for mHealth