IntraHealth Releases iPhone App: First in Global Health

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- IntraHealth International has released a free Global Health iPhone App—the first ever—designed to deliver latest news, views and resources on public health initiatives around the world. The app is now available in the iTunes App Store, with an iPad version scheduled for release later this spring.

IntraHealth's iPhone app is the latest product of its continuing efforts to develop free, flexible eHealth tools for the global health community—partners, decision-makers, educators, students,  health communicators, and ultimately, health workers. The app gives users mobile access to timely information, publications, videos and more, drawn from the organization's website.

"The next few years will be huge for non-profit mobile apps," says IntraHealth IT Specialist Troy Taylor, who created the new application. "A growing number of development houses are offering very basic apps—essentially mobile RSS feeds—but at a cost most nonprofits can't afford. I saw an opportunity to build IntraHealth's iPhone app in-house, developing additional features with just an inexpensive Apple development license on a MacBook we already had."

Specific features of the app include: recommended global health news, tools and resources; country profiles and health statistics; partnership information, maps, photos and videos from around the world; free music donated by top recording artists to IntraHealth's OPEN Initiative in support of locally-driven open source technology for public health; links to Facebook and Twitter; and ways to get involved. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, the app requires iPhone OS 3.1 or later.

"Now that it's officially released, I hope as people hear about IntraHealth, they download our app to learn more and are inspired enough to share it with others—whether by emailing the iTunes link, mentioning us on Twitter (@IHAPP) or showing one of our videos to someone from their phone," added Taylor.

Related eHealth and mobile-sharing initiatives: As part of its mission to support health workers for sustainable accessible care, IntraHealth is working with partners like FrontlineSMS:Medic, Hope Phones, Open MRS, and Coded in Country to equip health workers around the world with the latest advances in open source technology, eHealth and mobile tools for improved service delivery.

Activities include IntraHealth OPEN, which builds technological fluency and local innovation in open source health systems in Africa, and a phone donation campaign providing SMS-enabled mobile phones to African health workers who need up-to-the-minute information during emergency and routine care. IntraHealth has also pioneered the use of open source technology to improve data for decision-making and workforce planning with its iHRIS suite of software tools created under the USAID-supported Capacity Project.

IntraHealth International is a US-based nonprofit that has served the public health needs of developing countries for 30 years.  IntraHealth has partnered with governments, local organizations, and nurses, midwives, and doctors in 90 developing countries, reaching hundreds of thousands of people with vital services for maternal and child health, family planning, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.  The nonprofit receives funding and support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, private foundations, corporations and individuals.

SOURCE IntraHealth International