Resource Type: Case Studies
Authors: Health Finance and Governance (HFG)
Published: 10/31/2015

Resource Description:

This case study is one of 14 case studies profiled in the Mobile Money for Health Case Study Compendium.

Launched in 2011, Paywast (meaning “to connect” in Dari), is Afghanistan’s largest social network with more than 1.5 million users. The platform, which stands at the forefront of SMS-based social networking technology in the country – processing roughly 30 percent of all SMS messages – also assists government departments, NGOs, and other enterprises to customize mobile solutions for Afghan citizens. With support from the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and in partnership with Care of Afghan Families (CAF), Paywast began technical implementation of an mHealth call center for maternal health in 2013. Responding to a low rate of facility-based deliveries and limited referrals, the call center aims to ensure that all women have the opportunity to deliver at health centers with qualified medical professionals by managing customer relationships between patients and community health workers (CHWs), and facilitating access to emergency medical transportation when necessary.