Where We Work | Program

Chipatala cha pa Foni (CCPF)

Health Center by Phone extends the reach of the health care system to every community by providing access to certified health and nutrition information and services via a toll-free number. In addition, Health Center by Phone gives people the power to make informed decisions about when to seek further care at a health center.

< Return to Global Experience Map

Country

Malawi

Solution

Health Center By Phone

Topic

Health care technology

Status

In Transition

UPDATE: As of December 2020, the Malawi Ministry of Health owns, manages and operates this health hotline.

Background

VillageReach’s Health Center by Phone solution originated in Malawi as Chipatala cha pa Foni (CCPF). CCPF has now become a model to replicate HCBP in other countries, as well as a model for successfully scaling solutions with government.

CCPF began in 2009 when the Malawi Ministry of Health (MoH) called on community innovators for ideas to increase access to maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) information. In partnership with the MoH, VillageReach developed a MNCH community-based health hotline, piloted in 2011, which now provides free information on health and nutrition to all Malawians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CCPF is now one of the first government-run, nation-wide health hotlines in Africa.

How it
Works

Toll-free Hotline

• Professionally-staffed hotline providing information on health and nutrition
• 24 hours / 7 days a week
• Calls free on an Airtel phone
• Hotline workers triage calls to doctors and refer callers for further care at a health center when needed

Voice Messages

• Personalized voice messages for those with personal phones
• Dial-in to retrieve messages from any Airtel phone for those without personal phones
• Content specific to women of reproductive age, pregnant women, caregivers of children under one, or adolescent sexual and reproductive health

Resources

Report | 2020

CCPF Impact Evaluation

View Resource

Research | 2019

Scaling up a health and nutrition hotline in Malawi: the benefits of multisectoral collaboration

View Resource

Presentation | 2019

Chipatala cha pa Foni 2019 Evaluation Presentation

View Resource

Fact Sheet | 2019

Health Center by Phone (CCPF) Overview

View Resource

Tool | 2018

CCPF Case study by UNESCO-Pearson Initiative for Literacy

View Resource

View Additional Resources

Program Impact

2018 Impact Evaluation Findings:

87% of all callers who had been referred by CCPF to a health facility for further tests, care or preventive products reported going.
95% were satisfied with the referral and 33% said they probably would not have gone otherwise.
98% CCPF user satisfaction rating of good or very good
CCPF callers show increased knowledge, compared to non-callers, related to:
- Nutrition
- Maternal and Child Health
- Sexual and Reproductive Health