Utilizing an mHealth Platform and Community Health Workers to Enhance Epilepsy Screening and Treatment in a Rural Setting in Mali: A Closed Cohort Study
This study demonstrates the insightful effectiveness of leveraging an mHealth platform to empower community Relais to manage epilepsy in rural Mali. The Relais demonstrated a high capacity for screening, with neurologists confirming most suspected cases they identified. This innovative approach resulted in excellent patient outcomes, including a high retention rate over the follow-up period and statistically significant reduction in seizures. While challenges such as mobile network coverage and varying literacy levels among Relais were encountered, the findings strongly support this mHealth strategy as a viable solution to bridge the healthcare gap, significantly improving access to and management of epilepsy for remote and hard-to-reach populations.
Authors
- Oumar Sangho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2856-0395)
- Peter J. Winch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8569-5507)
- Abdoulaye Konaté
- Youssoufa Maiga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4102-8328)
- Drissa Toure (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5060-8546)
- Hamadoun Sangho
- Hervé Fritz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7106-3661)
- Mariam Daou
- Fatoumata dite Nènè Konipo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1010-2054)
- Housséini Dolo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4234-3488)
- Yaya Ibrahim Coulibaly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6786-1567)
- Boubacar Camara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0340-9704)
- Moussa Sangaré
- Seydou Doumbia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1637-5600)
- Mohamed Kamaforo
- Mohamed Sininta
Institutions
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (ML)
- Minnesota Department of Health (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
- Published
- 2025-08-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-025-00454-2
- Primary Topic
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Johns Hopkins University
- Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique
- National Institutes of Health
- Université de Limoges