The Health Education Response (HER) program uses software developed by two Peace Corps volunteers to send text messages about health information throughout Namibia.
The program, which launched in February, sends out information about topics like HIV/AIDS and birth control to clients and forwards user questions to 11 knowledgeable Peace Corps volunteers and a Childline/Lifeline counselor.
The service enables clients to ask health questions they might not ordinarily ask of a live person, according to Peace Corps Namibia Director Hannah Baldwin.
“The beauty of the system is that it permits people to ask questions they would not ask directly, and provides excellent information in a non-threatening way,” she said in a press release.
Could this be something San Luis Obispo could offer residents or Cal Poly could utilize on campus? Are there any other topics students and faculty might want to be immediately notified about or that locals would be interested in?
For example, as of October 2008, Washington D.C. police could send crime alert messages to subscribers’ cell phones. Cal Poly students can already sign up to be alerted via text message of an emergency on campus, but currently but there is no way for the San Luis Police Department to inform residents of a crime using text messages.
Would you be interested in receiving text messages about health or safety topics in San Luis Obispo County?