National HIV Clinical Support Center

A Kiswahili word meaning “advice”, this is an SMS based patient reminder system developed to enhance client retention in care and improve adherence to treatment.

Ushauri leverages mobile phone coverage across the country to increase avenues for access to information and improve the quality of life among people living with HIV.

Patients receive three categories of messages in either English or Swahili:

• Educative and motivational messages: dispatched on weekly intervals
• Appointment reminders: sent seven days and 24 hours prior to client’s appointment.

We are looking to achieve universal access to SMS notification service while being mindful of patient confidentiality. Therefore, written consent is obtained prior to enrollment into the service.

Ushauri-SMS complements the patient support toll free line, giving clients to the opportunity to post follow-up queries on an interactive platform. Questions arising from Ushauri- SMS are, therefore, responded to through Ushauri-toll free. With toll-free line (0800-724-848) at the core of our patient support platform, we’re able to promptly respond to queries.

Click here to access Ushauri Platform.