Using WhatsApp to Connect, Train, and Empower Health Professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dr. Christoph Pimmer will share insights gained from a research project that involved more than 1,500 nurses and midwives in Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa in a variety of settings (placements, training, school-to-work transition). The use of moderated WhatsApp groups enhanced participants’ knowledge and resilience, and reduced their feelings of professional isolation. The presentation will concentrate on the ways in which the interventions were prepared, facilitated, and moderated including success factors and “tricks of the trade”. We will also outline the sustainability and scalability of the approach, which are linked with the use of technologies that are already in the hand of many health professionals. Given the predominance of WhatsApp in the day-to-day work of many health professionals in sub-Saharan Africa, we will finally address the issues of digital professionalism, i.e. what are the required competencies for health professionals to leverage instant messaging and social media in a professional and responsible manner and how can they be adequately trained. Further information (publications, online curricula):http://socialmedia4health.net