Mobile Health NIH Awarded to Valencia Koomson
Mobile Health NIH Awarded to Valencia Koomson
Mobile Health: Technology and Outcomes in Low and Middle Income Countries (mHealth)
Image: Tufts University
Valencia Koomson (2021-22 MIT MLK Visiting Professor) has received a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) award through its program Mobile Health Technology and Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Award Summary
The prevalence of mobile telephony in Africa creates an opportunity for the adoption of mobile technology for monitoring and control of hypertension, the most prevalent noncommunicable disease risk factor. We will study the usability and feasibility of a Ghana-adapted, evidence-based mHealth platform to improve self-care and management of hypertension in an urban and rural region of Ghana. Capacity building initiatives include the formation of a research and education network to accelerate mHealth research in Ghana.
Our USA-Ghana partnership includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, biostatisticians, electrical and computer engineers, and public health scientists across multiple institutions in Ghana (University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Health and Allied Sciences) and the USA (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts University). Our industry partner is Medtronic Labs.