Health Ministry Partners with Safaricom and Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya

Kenyans can now access information on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) directly from their mobile phones following the launch of an SMS and USSD service called Fafanuka which is Swahili for ‘to be enlightened’.

 The Fafanuka platform which is powered by Safaricom in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya (NCDAK) aims to address the information gap on the prevention, management, and care of non-communicable diseases.

 “Fafanuka will leverage SMS and USSD to educate public, patients, nurses, Community Health Workers and caregivers on how to prevent, screen, diagnose, manage and follow up various non-communicable diseases which include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and epilepsy,” said Dr. Joseph Kibachio, Head of Non Communicable Diseases Division in the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Joseph Kibachio made the announcement during the World Diabetes Day celebrations at Emusire primary school in Vihiga County.

To register for the service all one needs to do is dial *215# from their Safaricom line and follow the instructions.

The content has been developed in partnership with various organizations that are part of NCDAK including Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS), Kenya Network of Cancer Organizations (KENCO), Kenya Welfare of People with Epilepsy (KAWE) and the Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre (DMI). The platform’s secretariat is run by the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCD) contribute to over 50 percent of inpatient cases in Kenya and 40 percent of hospital deaths.