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Design for health : co-designing health information services in the Afrikan context
Author(s)
Debrah, Ralitsa Diana
Date Issued
2021
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) plays a vital role in the socio-economic
development of countries and in particular, sub-Saharan Afrika. Children are the
future of a nation; therefore, their health and wellbeing becomes critical to national
development. Health information and education have been identified as possible
ways of promoting preventive care, particularly amongst mothers with infant children
in sub-Saharan Afrika. The provision of quality healthcare services is of great
importance in any given community. Thus, health education needs to be extended
to mothers in underserved communities in Afrikan sub-regions.
This study was predominantly conducted in the Grabouw community in the Western
Cape Province of South Africa and partially in the Kumasi-Asante region of Ghana as
a replication case. This study aims to contribute to the improvement of healthcare
services in underserved communities and accelerate South Africa’s progress towards
meeting global health-related targets such as the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goal three (UN SDG 3) by 2030.
Service design and sensemaking theories have been explored to gain insights and to
search for possible solutions within the problem space in Grabouw. Co-design
activities have been conducted with the participating health intermediaries such as
caregivers, midwives and patients (women), which have resulted in prototyping a
technology-enabled health information system. The system, which is a multimodal
health information system, is envisioned to facilitate the transmission of health
information in underserved communities. It is also designed to facilitate interaction
between health intermediaries (caregivers) and patients (mothers) when
implemented in the future.
Projections from the study include the proposed health information system, which has
multimodal functions, will equip caregivers, and enable them to promote health
literacy among women in the Grabouw area. Mothers will be empowered to make
informed decisions for themselves and their children to reduce maternal morbidity
and mortality in the context of Grabouw in the Western Cape, South Africa. Future
work is suggested to extend health information services to mothers in other
underserved communities towards fostering a healthy society. A healthy society will
accelerate the attainment of health-related UN SDGs in South Africa, Ghana and
other countries in sub-Saharan Afrika.
development of countries and in particular, sub-Saharan Afrika. Children are the
future of a nation; therefore, their health and wellbeing becomes critical to national
development. Health information and education have been identified as possible
ways of promoting preventive care, particularly amongst mothers with infant children
in sub-Saharan Afrika. The provision of quality healthcare services is of great
importance in any given community. Thus, health education needs to be extended
to mothers in underserved communities in Afrikan sub-regions.
This study was predominantly conducted in the Grabouw community in the Western
Cape Province of South Africa and partially in the Kumasi-Asante region of Ghana as
a replication case. This study aims to contribute to the improvement of healthcare
services in underserved communities and accelerate South Africa’s progress towards
meeting global health-related targets such as the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goal three (UN SDG 3) by 2030.
Service design and sensemaking theories have been explored to gain insights and to
search for possible solutions within the problem space in Grabouw. Co-design
activities have been conducted with the participating health intermediaries such as
caregivers, midwives and patients (women), which have resulted in prototyping a
technology-enabled health information system. The system, which is a multimodal
health information system, is envisioned to facilitate the transmission of health
information in underserved communities. It is also designed to facilitate interaction
between health intermediaries (caregivers) and patients (mothers) when
implemented in the future.
Projections from the study include the proposed health information system, which has
multimodal functions, will equip caregivers, and enable them to promote health
literacy among women in the Grabouw area. Mothers will be empowered to make
informed decisions for themselves and their children to reduce maternal morbidity
and mortality in the context of Grabouw in the Western Cape, South Africa. Future
work is suggested to extend health information services to mothers in other
underserved communities towards fostering a healthy society. A healthy society will
accelerate the attainment of health-related UN SDGs in South Africa, Ghana and
other countries in sub-Saharan Afrika.
Additional information
Thesis (Doctor of Applied Arts in Design)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2021
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