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| 3. |
- Kabukye, Johnblack K., et al.
(författare)
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Implementing a Hospital Call Center Service for Mental Health in Uganda : User-Centered Design Approach
- 2024
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Ingår i: JMIR Human Factors. - : JMIR Publications Inc.. - 2292-9495. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Mental health conditions are a significant public health problem globally, responsible for >8 million deaths per year. In addition, they lead to lost productivity, exacerbate physical illness, and are associated with stigma and human rights violations. Uganda, like many low- and middle -income countries, faces a massive treatment gap for mental health conditions, and numerous sociocultural challenges exacerbate the burden of mental health conditions. Objective: This study aims to describe the development and formative evaluation of a digital health intervention for improving access to mental health care in Uganda. Methods: This qualitative study used user -centered design and design science research principles. Stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, mental health care providers, and implementation experts (N=65), participated in focus group discussions in which we explored participants' experience of mental illness and mental health care, experience with digital interventions, and opinions about a proposed digital mental health service. Data were analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to derive requirements for the digital solution, which was iteratively cocreated with users and piloted. Results: Several challenges were identified, including a severe shortage of mental health facilities, unmet mental health information needs, heavy burden of caregiving, financial challenges, stigma, and negative beliefs related to mental health. Participants' enthusiasm about digital solutions as a feasible, acceptable, and convenient method for accessing mental health services was also revealed, along with recommendations to make the service user-friendly, affordable, and available 24x7 and to ensure anonymity. A hospital call center service was developed to provide mental health information and advice in 2 languages through interactive voice response and live calls with health care professionals and peer support workers (recovering patients). In the 4 months after launch, 456 calls, from 236 unique numbers, were made to the system, of which 99 (21.7%) calls went to voicemails (out -of -office hours). Of the remaining 357 calls, 80 (22.4%) calls stopped at the interactive voice response, 231 (64.7%) calls were answered by call agents, and 22 (6.2%) calls were not answered. User feedback was positive, with callers appreciating the inclusion of peer support workers who share their recovery journeys. However, some participant recommendations (eg, adding video call options) or individualized needs (eg, prescriptions) could not be accommodated due to resource limitations or technical feasibility. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a systematic and theory -driven approach to developing contextually appropriate digital solutions for improving mental health care in Uganda and similar contexts. The positive reception of the implemented service underscores its potential impact. Future research should address the identified limitations and evaluate clinical outcomes of long-term adoption.
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| 4. |
- Karltun, Linley Chiwona, et al.
(författare)
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COVID-19: From health crises to food security anxiety and policy implications
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 50, s. 794-811
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Like the rest of the world, African countries are reeling from the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19. The continent's governments have responded by imposing rigorous lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. The various lockdown measures are undermining food security, because stay at home orders have among others, threatened food production for a continent that relies heavily on agriculture as the bedrock of the economy. This article draws on quantitative data collected by the GeoPoll, and, from these data, assesses the effect of concern about the local spread and economic impact of COVID-19 on food worries. Qualitative data comprising 12 countries south of the Sahara reveal that lockdowns have created anxiety over food security as a health, economic and human rights/well-being issue. By applying a probit model, we find that concern about the local spread of COVID-19 and economic impact of the virus increases the probability of food worries. Governments have responded with various efforts to support the neediest. By evaluating the various policies rolled out we advocate for a feminist economics approach that necessitates greater use of data analytics to predict the likely impacts of intended regulatory relief responses during the recovery process and post-COVID-19.
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| 7. |
- Svensson, Jakob, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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A Double-Edged Sword. : Mobile phones and empowerment among market women in Kampala
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article we depart from studies on empowerment and its intersections with the informal economy and market women in the global south and promises of the mobile phone in so-called developing regions. Conducting an explorative study among market women in Kampala, the aim is to study what role (if any) the mobile phone plays for them in terms of empowerment. Our findings resonate with studies from other parts of the world, suggesting that while pivotal for their business endeavours, mobile phone practices are also embedded in patriarchal structures. The article ends by discussing how these market women navigate the tensions between using the phone for their business and in relations to their partner. In this way the article contributes with a more nuanced and context specific understanding of mobile phone practices and the empowerment of market women.
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| 8. |
- Svensson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Approaches to development in M4D studies : An overview of major approaches
- 2015. - 1
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Ingår i: Promoting social change and democracy through information technology. - : IGI Global. - 9781466685031 - 9781466685024 ; , s. 26-48
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is no doubt that the proliferation of mobile phones in developing regions has opened up a range of possibilities and new avenues for individuals, governments, development agencies and civil society organisations. But we also know that development is a disputed concept and conveys a range of different connotations. Therefore in this chapter we examine the areas, where mobile phones are discussed as vehicles for development (i.e. M4D), and how mobile communication is related to the idea(s) of development today. To examine this, we have reviewed M4D articles in three major conference series and open source journals during 2008-2012. Three dominant areas of M4D emerge out of our sample: livelihood, health and civic participation. We find that M4D is largely based on an economic understanding of development and biased towards techno-determinism. We conclude this chapter by suggesting a future path for studying the impact of mobile communication in developing regions, something what we label as a dialectical approach.
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| 9. |
- Svensson, Jakob, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Approaches to Development in M4D Studies: : An overview of Major Approaches
- 2015
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Ingår i: <em>Promoting social change through Information Technology</em>. - : IGI Global. ; , s. 26-48
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is no doubt that the proliferation of mobile phones in developing regions has opened up a range of possibilities and new avenues for individuals, governments, development agencies and civil society organisations. But we also know that development is a disputed concept and conveys a range of different connotations. Therefore in this chapter we examine the areas, where mobile phones are discussed as vehicles for development (i.e. M4D), and how mobile communication is related to the idea(s) of development today. To examine this, we have reviewed M4D articles in three major conference series and in open source journals during 2008-2012. Three dominant areas of M4D emerge out of our sample: livelihood, health and civic participation. Largely being based on an economic understanding of development and biased towards techno-determinism we conclude this chapter by suggesting a future path for studying the impact of mobile communication in developing regions, something what we label as a dialectical approach.
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| 11. |
- Svensson, Jakob, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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M4D : Mobile Communication for development
- 2013
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rise of mobile communication has been remarkable. This is especially the case in developing countries. This trend serves as the background to the emerging academic field of Mobile Communication for Development (M4D) to which we devote this paper. While access is still an important obstacle, there is no doubt that the proliferation of mobile telephony in developing countries has opened up a range of possibilities and new avenues for individuals, governments, aid agencies and NGOs. However being an emerging academic field there is need for greater conceptual and methodological rigour in the conduct of research as well as theoretical and methodological development. This paper will give a background of the field, an overview of research being carried out and challenges ahead. The aim of presenting this paper is to explore the possibility of establishing M4D as a research priority for Southern African - Nordic cooperation.
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| 12. |
- Svensson, Jakob, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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M4D : Mobile Communication for Development
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rise of mobile communication has been remarkable. This is especially the case in developing countries. This trend serves as the background to the emerging academic field of Mobile Communication for Development (M4D) to which we devote this paper. While access is still an important obstacle, there is no doubt that the proliferation of mobile telephony in developing countries has opened up a range of possibilities and new avenues for individuals, governments, aid agencies and NGOs. However being an emerging academic field there is need for greater conceptual and methodological rigour in the conduct of research as well as theoretical and methodological development. This paper will give a background of the field, an overview of research being carried out and challenges ahead. The aim of presenting this paper is to explore the possibility of establishing M4D as a research priority for Southern African - Nordic cooperation.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Svensson, Jakob, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Situated empowerment : Mobile phones practices among market women in Kampala
- 2016
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Ingår i: Mobile Media & Communication. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 2050-1579 .- 2050-1587. ; 4:2, s. 205-220
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article we depart from studies on empowerment and its intersections with the informal economy and market women in the Global South and promises of the mobile phone in so-called developing regions. Conducting an explorative study among market women in Kampala, the aim is to examine what roles (if any) the mobile phone plays for them in terms of empowerment. Our findings resonate with studies from other parts of the world, suggesting that while pivotal for their business endeavors, mobile phone practices are also embedded in patriarchal structures. By discussing how these market women navigate the tensions between using the phone for their business and in relations to their partners, the article contributes a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of mobile phone practices and the empowerment of market women. We conclude the article by suggesting a situated approach to the study of empowerment.
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| 17. |
- Wamala, Caroline
(författare)
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Does IT count? : complexities between access to and use of information technologies among Uganda's farmers
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Drawn from a year of ethnographic fieldwork among farmers in Uganda, this study engages with developing an understanding on how access to and use of media and information technologies are negotiated in their separate profiles. Oftentimes the two entities, access and use, are laminated into one statistical representation, depicting both terms as either use or access. However, these terms are nodal points in two discourses and should not by necessity be understood as one. Media and information technologies in the current study refer to computers/internet and mobile phones which are situated in the information technologies part of the phrase. Radios, newspapers and television form part of the media phrase. Access to information carries similar weight as having access to other crucial resources such as land and capital for the farmer, which is why media and information technologies which have the ability to deliver information in real time are encouraged for Uganda's farmers by development efforts.Agriculture is Uganda's economic bedrock and is a practice that Ugandans identify with. Situating a study of access to and use of media and information technologies in this sector may give an indication of the diffusion process of the media and information technologies among Ugandans. Uganda like other developing regions are encouraged to adapt the use of media and information technologies, particularly the Internet, in light of the socioeconomic progress, associated with the ability to use the information from this medium towards self-progression. This study is partly motivated by the requests for more studies that give an indication to what level socioeconomic progress can be measured in line with access to information from media and information technologies. The methods that informed this research include interviews, observations, survey research methods and focus group discussions. Farmers in the eastern, northern and central regions of Uganda informed this research. The farmers were initially asked what information sources were available to them with regards to their farming practices. This question produced a range of responses and from the responses an indication of where farmers locate media and information technologies was analysed. It was also possible to discern that a positive influence on the farming practices can be traced to use of information from the media and information technologies. From the descriptions given by the farmers as well as the observations made, the social environment in which the media and information technologies operate is influential towards the farmer's relationship with the technology. As farmers' negotiated access and use in very innovative ways in light of the fact that the communications infrastructure is still developing specific relations with the technologies emerged. For example the search for signals for radios and mobile phones in some of the rural areas may require tree-climbing or going up a hill. Women are culturally barred from some of these practices deemed to be uncouth and unflattering for the pious nature of women. The technologies for which signals must be sought gain an inherently masculine symbolism to which women enjoy limited associations. In this case having access to the physical device, may not always result in women being able to use the radio or mobile phone. Critically analysing access in this way also brings to question who a user is. Because access and use require various social negotiations, this brings forth the understanding that technology is culturally embedded. The current research gives specific focus to gender, at the same time as it is acknowledged that gender intersects with other social categories such as age and ethnicity and aims to contribute to studies that give attention to the cultural embeddedness of gender and technology from a development perspective.
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| 18. |
- Wamala, Caroline
(författare)
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Hoes, tractors and information technologies
- 2011
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Ingår i: Annual Report : 2010: The rise of Africa: miracle or mirage?. - Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. - 1104-5256. ; 2010, s. 30-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 19. |
- Wamala, Caroline, 1972-
(författare)
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I Have to Give an “I Can” Attitude : Gender Patterns in Beeping Practices
- 2013
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Ingår i: SAGE Open. - : SAGE Open. - 2158-2440. ; 3:1, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intentional missed calling, referred to as beeping through the mobile phone, is a popular communication practice among Africans. Targeting young mobile phone users in Uganda, this article builds on previous research on beeping, but focuses on gender as a point of analysis. Data informing this article are based on 76 qualitative interviews with university students and recent graduates who are currently employed, and the results indicate that beeping practices are embedded in sociocultural, normative, gender patterns. The data also show that beeping is a multilayered exercise that each individual at some social-relational level engages in: It is the relationship to the beep recipient that negotiates this practice. Mapping local, diverse expressions of masculinities and femininity at the intersection of beeping activities, the study offers some recommendations on how Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in general can be useful signals of understanding sociological order.
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| 20. |
- Wamala, Caroline
(författare)
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'I have to show an "I can" attitude' : social enactments of gender and technology in mobile telephony communication practices
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Intentional Missed calling referred to as beeping through the mobile phone, is a phenomenon that has taken the African continent by storm. Giving specific attention to relational beeps, this study analyses the practice through an intersectional theoretical lens, revealing a practice deeply imbued with social categorical orders. A year of ethnographic study in Uganda (2008) informed this study. Document analyses and twenty-three conversational interviews with friends, family and acquaintances with whom rapport had been established socio-culturally contextualised the rules associated with the practice prior to qualitative interviews with fifty three university students and recent graduates (20-28). Targeting young dating couples the focus on gender highlights complex rules to the practice that may deter some of the informants in this study from beeping. The same informants basing on other social relationships such as kinships can be found to engage in the same activity. Beeping is therefore a multilayered exercise that each individual at some socio-relational level engages in. It is the relationship to the beep recipient that negotiates this practice. The current study offers as a contribution to existing beeping analyses, an intersectional understanding of this practice. This study differs from previous beeping research, by analysing different gender-based negotiations that confront beeping practices. Mapping local, diverse expressions of masculinities and femininities at the intersection of beeping activities the study offers some recommendations on how Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in general can be useful signals of understanding sociological order.
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| 23. |
- Wamala, Caroline
(författare)
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Migrating to the information society : Swazi women's lived experiences of technology
- 2007
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Ingår i: 2007 Annual meeting : Society for Social Studies of Science. ; , s. 572-
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within development, Gender and Information Communication Technologies (ICT)contextualizes feminist cultural studies. For Swaziland, a small kingdom in SouthernAfrica, gender and ICT is approached from the perspective of empowering those whohave no access or are impaired by some social or other impediment. My researchdiffracts from this angle and instead focuses on those who are using technology, andanalyses their experiences with the hindsight of enlightening future projects on how tobest lure more offline social actors to migrate to the information society.The study of Gender and Technology has produced interesting analogies that havecreated what theorists such as Berg & Lie (1995) call constructive tensions within genderand technology studies from a science and technology studies (STS) perspective.Theorists such as Everts Saskia (1998), Cockburn (1994) and Butler (1990) have beenuseful in analysing the different relationship women have with technology.Researching/analysing the gender and technology relationship from a developmentperspective, I have not so much focused on women being denied access due to varioussocial impediments such as their gender role requirements, illiteracy, poverty and theirsocial standings. I look at women who are using technology, women who are embracingICT use, to understand the unique relationship women in Swaziland have with ICTspecifically women graduates in professional jobs. It is my aim to diffract from theobvious notion of women being gendered and hence experiencing hardships because of it.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Wamala, Caroline
(författare)
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Social role of academic networks towards emerging information societies : Swaziland as a case study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Open access 2006.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Even with education, women in Swaziland continue to face social barriers that impact their level of use or enjoyment of Information Communication Technologies. Development of an ‘all inclusive' knowledge based society in Swaziland may only become a reality if the social and cultural experiences of the local actors are taken into consideration.This paper focuses on the query how academic networks can help improve living conditions for people in developing regions. The data used in this paper was gathered using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and specific problem areas were identified in the process. In order to address the issues highlighted from the research, this paper proposes the concept of Interactive Research (IR) for Academic Networks to aid emerging Information societies. IR calls for conducting research with and not on participants in their unique circumstances, such that while creating a learning social changing process for the participants, the researcher in turn has the opportunity of creating new knowledges while being immersed in the research process. In using the concept of IR this paper also proposes that the situation in Swaziland can be seen in a generalised context for developing regions.
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