10,000-odd subscribe to Haus Lain

MORE than 10,000 people have subscribed to Haus Lain, the first free national health SMS group in the country, in order to receive weekly tips on counselling, maternal health and sexually transmitted infections.
Population Services International (PSI) Papua New Guinea country representative Cynde Robinson said Haus Lain built on the positive role that mobile phones played in the country.
She said Haus Lain was launched last month and aimed to provide tips on how Papua New Guineans could keep their family healthy.
Robinson said with support from AusAID, PSI worked in partnership with mobile technology agency MobiMedia to develop and manage Haus Lain to support healthy behavioural change and address diseases that were the largest health burden in the country.
She said since its launch last month, 10,230 people had subscribed.
“To date, health tips have addressed a wide range of issues from maternal health, preventing child and infant deaths from diarrhoeal disease and malaria, prevention of the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and helping married couples better communicate to maintain strong, healthy relationships,” she said.
“Papua New Guineans can use the health tips to take action to protect the health of their families.
“We’re very excited to see that so many Papua New Guineans have joined Haus Lain and look forward to developing more ways to use mobile technology to support them,” she said.
Any Digicel mobile user in PNG can text the words, “Join OK” to 16321 to join the Haus Lain and receive free, weekly health tips.