Without health, we are nothing. Any other necessity – hunger, thirst, aspirations and all other desires are superseded by the basic human necessity of life. Most of us sitting in this room, are all within a parameter that would be considered ‘relatively healthy.’ And if this is not the case, we at least are assured by the fact that there is an extensive healthcare network. In theory, most of us in the developing world are able to see a doctor within a matter of days, if not hours. I for one, take great comfort in knowing this and I am truly distraught that this is not the case on a global scale. This is why I have founded Global Health Group (GHG). GHG’s primary goal is to reign in a new era of healthcare on global scale, particularly in developing nations. See, the issue with developing nations’ healthcare system is that it is expensive and inaccessible, if even existent. GHG and its members feel an obligation to serve those who have historically been underserved. GHG plans on doing so by creating a for-profit healthcare network throughout developing nations.
The target audience for the social media that GHG will use is those people who would need to have access to this healthcare (primarily rural people in poor areas).
The social media of my choice will be cellphones. In many countries, even in developing ones, the number of cellphones exceeds the number of people in the country. With technology advancing so rapidly, and the price of cellphone decreasing, more and more people have access to cellphones. They don’t require a sign-up, they don’t require very expensive costs and are an easy way to reach a large amount of people. I plan on having an extensive list of people that live in rural areas and require access to healthcare. Through SMS messages, these individuals will receive instructions of their medical visits, the address of the clinic, and a set of instructions for what to bring to their health appointment. Furthermore, patients will be able to schedule appointments by replying to these text messages.
Cellphones are an excellent way of reaching those that live in underdeveloped nations. An example of how these phones are already bringing in a new lifestyle for underserved people is it allows them to read. A UNESCO study found that people are now using books to read more than they ever have. According to the study, there are more than 6 billion cellphones which surpasses the number of people that have access to toilets. Cellphones are becoming a tool to empower people, and more importantly, provide them access to health.
Furthermore, I will have a website that will provide a wide array of information on GHG and the services it provides. This will be the primary way for people to supply donations. This aspect of the social media site is essential to the project as much of the work that will be done will be funded primarily by donations. The website is still in the works, but the basis of the website can be found here.
