Sehat Kahani (Story of Health)
THE CHALLENGE
Ongoing military insurgency in northwest Pakistan, combined with natural disasters, has displaced over 5.3 million people. As the number of IDPs has increased alongside an already large Afghan refugee population, the public healthcare infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with growing needs. In fragile provinces, underlying weaknesses in the healthcare system alongside ongoing healthcare provider shortages make it difficult for many, especially women and girls, to have access to affordable and quality primary healthcare. Gender inequities in healthcare are also compounded by the dearth of female doctors in Pakistan, with 77% of female doctors discontinuing medical practice once they get married.
THE SOLUTION
To respond to the growing healthcare gap within Pakistan’s refugee- and IDP-hosting communities, the Community Innovation Hub launched its project Sehat Kahani—meaning the story of health, in Urdu. Sehat Kahani is a holistic telemedicine solution consisting of a mobile application, a 24/7 helpline, and nurse-assisted e-clinics for those without internet connectivity. The virtual health platform addresses the disparities in health care for conflict-affected and host communities in Pakistan and leverages the existing capacities of women health physicians while providing them the economic opportunity of serving as home-based healthcare providers since sociocultural norms limit access to employment outside of the home. With funding from CHIC, the Sehat Kahani team further developed their mobile app technology and established five e-clinics. They also extended their network to a total of 2251 female doctors to narrow the gender gap in the medical workforce. Nearly half of the 5,000 physicians in Sehat Kahani’s network directly provided 18,928 e-health clinic patients with better quality and cost-effective care while nearly 28,000 mobile app users accessed telemedicine services in some capacity. Acknowledging these accomplishments, the government recognized Sehat Kahani as a leading female-led telemedicine solution in Pakistan.
