WelTel: Empowering Access & Rights on the Journey to Sexual and Reproductive Health

For the past two decades, WelTel has played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges associated with accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, especially in resource-constrained settings. As global attention increasingly focuses on sexual health, we are encouraged and envision a future where this emphasis is coupled with inclusive conversations that foster health dialogues for EVERYONE.

WelTel, through its innovative use of interactive SMS communication, empowers individuals to take control of their health. By providing equitable support and connectivity to healthcare services, we contribute to improved access to SRH rights and better health outcomes. Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is not merely a fundamental right; it serves as a cornerstone for individual empowerment and societal progress, transcending gender, age, and socio-economic boundaries. It acts as a catalyst for healthier communities and enhanced well-being.

By providing unfettered access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare, WelTel equips individuals to make informed choices about their bodies, family planning, and overall health. This access ensures not only safer pregnancies and childbirth but also lays the foundation for the prevention and management of various health issues. It becomes a linchpin for gender equality, breaking down barriers that hinder progress and enabling individuals to pursue their aspirations unencumbered by health-related constraints.

As pioneers in the mobile health (mHealth) revolution, WelTel understands the significance of evidence-based engagement. With over two decades of development and implementation experience, we employ an equity lens to deliver culturally sensitive services that leave no person behind. By connecting patients to their most responsible providers, WelTel strengthens relationships, improving outcomes and creating greater efficiencies that bolster health systems and build resiliency.

Here's how WelTel is making a difference in access to SRH in Africa, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Peru:

1. Culturally Safe Interactive Text-based Communication: WelTel ensures continuously connected care for those who are hardest to reach and reluctant to seek care proactively. Users feel empowered and supported, with 98% of surveyed patients expressing a willingness to recommend WelTel to a friend.
2. Patient’s Natural Voice: Open language communication through WelTel’s messaging channels allows patients to report health issues in their own voice, aiding providers in detecting early warning signs for timely and appropriate care.
3. Feedback and Reporting: Individuals can use WelTel’s secure channel to report violations of their SRH rights or instances of discrimination in healthcare facilities, holding providers and institutions accountable for delivering quality and non-discriminatory care.
4. Timely Information and Education: WelTel disseminates information about sexual and reproductive health rights through various channels including text messages, educating individuals and communities on their rights and choices.
5. Confidentiality: WelTel’s discreet mobile communication protocols provide a degree of confidentiality, encouraging people to seek SRH services in societies where discussing such matters can be stigmatized.
6. Behavioral Change Support: WelTel’s evidence-based platform delivers personalized messages and support for behaviour change, impacting positive change in various health-related behaviours as first demonstrated for individuals taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV treatment (Lester et al, The Lancet Nov 2010).
7. Improved Health Worker Capacity: WelTel enables care providers to manage over 10 times their normal patient volume, supporting small teams to care for large numbers of patients with greater efficiency and quality.?
8. Remote Support & Monitoring: In remote or underserved areas, WelTel’s integrated features facilitate remote support, monitoring, and telemedicine services through text, calls, or video chat.

WelTel's digital health communication and patient engagement platform is meticulously designed using person-centered principles, world-leading evidence, and an iterative feedback loop for ongoing innovation. Patients and providers benefit from improved health outcomes and well-being through enhanced accessibility and timely interaction. By advocating for universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, WelTel is committed to reshaping the global healthcare narrative, fostering a world where everyone has the agency and resources to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Don't wait; contact [email protected] now to learn more about changing the narrative around sexual healthcare.?