Barriers to pilot mobile teleophthalmology in a rural hospital in Southern Malawi

Abstract

Introduction: Malawi has one of the highest HIV prevalences in Sub-Saharan Africa. The rate of eligible  HIV-infected people being initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and retained in HIV-care is currently far from adequate. Consequently, many people continue present with advanced immunosuppression at public health facilities, often with undiagnosed opportunistic infections (OIs).

Methods: In this context, mHealth was the innovation chosen to assist Eye Clinical Officers in early diagnosis of HIV-related diseases having eye manifestations in a rural hospital in Thyolo, Southern Malawi.

Results: The mTeleophthalmology program began in October 2013, but was stopped prematurely due to organizational and technological barriers that compromised its feasibility.

Conclusion: Sharing these barriers might be useful to inform the design of similar innovations in other  resource-limited settings with a high HIV prevalence and a dearth of eye specialists with capacity to diagnose HIV-related retinopathies.

Key words: mHealth, HIV/AIDS, Malawi, opportunistic infections, eye diseases, mteleophthalmology