Qtel Group Supports Diabetes Awareness Month with mHealth

Wataniya Kuwait, Asiacell and Wataniya Palestine Share Information on Crucial Health Challenge via Innovative Mobile Service

Companies within the Qtel Group are deploying the latest advances in mobile health technology (mHealth) to help combat the scourge of diabetes, which afflicts 26.6 million adults in the Middle East and North Africa. 

To support the aims of Diabetes Awareness Month, Wataniya Kuwait, Asiacell and Wataniya Palestine are all working with the Mobile Health Management Company to provide subscribers with trusted, accurate health information and interactive health tools to help people avoid diabetes, and help those with the disease to manage their condition. 

Customers in Kuwait, Iraq and Palestine are able to subscribe directly to the service, and personalise the package of applications they receive. For diabetics, this includes advice on exercise, dietary management and alerts to advise them when to see their doctor. 

The Qtel Group continues to invest in mHealth services to deliver personalised, highly-relevant health content directly to its subscribers. The new mHealth services enable the Group to utilise a mass population approach that can provide customers with instant health updates and advice wherever they are in the world at any time of the day.

Scott Gegenheimer, CEO at Wataniya Kuwait said: “We are delighted to support what we feel is an increasingly important health issue that affects many people across the globe. The use of mobile technology to enable people to live healthier lives is a positive step in raising both awareness for the disease and highlighting daily measures that can be taken to help prevent the spread of diabetes.” 

“We continue to explore ways in which we can cater to customer needs through introducing some of the latest mobile innovations. Supporting Diabetes Awareness month with the launch of the new mHealth service highlights how new mobile technology can be an effective tool to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” added Dr. Diar Ahmed, CEO of Asiacell.

Figures from the International Diabetes Foundation suggest that over the next 20 years the number of people with diabetes in the region will almost double, reaching 51.7 million by 2030. The Qtel Group has prioritised mHealth as a key focus area for the company, recognising the scale of some of the challenges facing communities within its region, and the capacity for mobile communication to reach people in an immediate, convenient fashion. 

In particular, studies suggest that the use of mobile communications can support education and prevention campaigns, which in turn helps reduce the long-term costs of managing chronic conditions like diabetes. The Middle East and North Africa region spends $5.5 billion annually on diabetes, accounting for 14 percent of its total health care expenditure. In Qatar, for example, expenditure is as high as US$2,960 per person.

Dr. Bassam Hannoun, CEO of Wataniya Mobile Palestine said: “As part of our continued support to all members of the Palestinian community it is important for us to support great initiatives such as Diabetes Awareness Month. We hope that whilst raising awareness about the disease we can also offer an invaluable service to those living with diabetes.”

The comprehensive service from the Mobile Health Management Company offers information in both English and Arabic and sends both SMS and MMS covering more than 12 health specialties, interactive services and complimentary personal health records (PHR).

Health authorities within the three markets have supported the campaign, highlighting how mHealth initiatives are helping to raise much needed awareness around a serious health issue affecting more and more people across the region. 

Diabetes Awareness Month is an international campaign to keep the issue of diabetes and the related health challenges in the public eye. It supports the wider aims of World Diabetes Day (November 14 led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations.