Designing and deploying caller tunes on mobile phones to promote malaria vaccine uptake in Africa: can the technology acceptance model (TAM) help?

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with millions of cases and high mortality rates annually, especially in low-income countries. Africa bears a substantial burden, with direct costs of malaria among children under five reaching millions of dollars in countries like Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya. In 2021, over 610,000 malaria-related deaths were reported, 96% of which occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite existing interventions, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying, and intermittent preventive treatment, the re-emergence of malaria underscores the need for innovative preventive strategies. This study explores the potential of utilizing mobile phone caller tunes to raise awareness and promote the uptake of the RTS,S malaria vaccine. The technology acceptance model (TAM) provides a framework for understanding how users perceive and adopt new technologies. Caller tunes, a mobile phone feature that plays audio for callers waiting to be connected, have been effective in health communication campaigns in Asia and Africa. This approach could be leveraged to enhance malaria vaccine awareness, particularly in low-income countries where vaccine hesitancy is prevalent and malaria endemic. Overall, mobile technologies have significantly improved healthcare delivery in Africa, facilitating communication, monitoring, and treatment adherence in remote areas. Integrating caller tunes with health messages about the malaria vaccine could address vaccine hesitancy and improve uptake. This would require collaboration with telecommunication companies, healthcare providers, and policymakers to design culturally and linguistically appropriate messages. However, the cost of caller tune services, the need for internet access, and cultural differences are the expected challenge that may occur in this approach. Therefore, strategic partnerships and intersectoral approaches can mitigate these issues, making caller tunes a viable tool for public health communication. Raising awareness through this innovative method could enhance the adoption of the RTS,S vaccine and support ongoing malaria control efforts in Africa.