mHealth Support Tools for Improving the Performance of Frontline Health Workers: An Inventory and Analytical Review

The United Nations (UN) Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children (hereafter referred to as the “Commission) was established in 2012 to increase access to and expand the use of 13 life-saving health commodities for women and children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by 2015. To achieve this goal, the Commission made 10 recommendations, based on research into the barriers impacting the accessibility and adoption of the 13 commodities. Specifically, Recommendation 9 focuses on improving the performance and accountability of Frontline Health Workers (FLHWs), who are often the first point of care in public health systems in LMICs and play an important role in recommending, and sometimes dispensing, life-saving health commodities. In parallel, the increase in mobile technology penetration in LMICs has catalyzed the development of mobile health (mHealth) tools to strengthen health systems. As a result, the Commission is interested in exploring how mHealth can support the achievement