Charity Science Health (CSH) sends SMS reminders to mothers in India to help them remember when it is time to get their child vaccinated. We are a GiveWell incubated non-profit focused on improving and saving the most lives per dollar spent. After reviewing over 30 different interventions we concluded that mobile vaccination reminders are one of the best ways to do so. Mobile vaccination reminders increase vaccination rates by 8 percentage points on average. They cost only a few cents. CSH has a clear path to scale through the public health system and alongside a wide network of NGO partners.
CORE PRINCIPLES
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cost-effective |
evidence-based |
scalable |
our approach |
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Vaccine reminders cost only pennies per family reached: sending our full series of text message costs only $0.03, and acquiring phone numbers through existing data collection systems costs less than a dollar. GiveWell’s calculations suggest that vaccine reminders have similar cost-effectiveness to the most cost-effective interventions currently known.
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Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on immunization SMS reminders in low- and middle-income countries found an average increase in vaccination coverage of 8 percentage points. We are committed to test the effectiveness of our own program through a rigorous evaluation. Read more about the evidence here.
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SMS reminders are easily replicable and scalable across India. With 90% of Indian families having access to a mobile phone, SMS reminders could reach nearly all of the 9 million families who don't complete their child's vaccination by her first birthday Read more about our current reach here.
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We use existing health systems to sign up caregivers and pregnant mothers. We ensure that health reminders are integrated into state government’s systems or local NGOs’ programs so that they are owned and sustained. Find out who our partners are here.
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GiveWell has independently reviewed and found SMS reminders for immunization an effective intervention. You can read the full report here.
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