Digital Health Literacy Intervention for Disadvantaged Women During Corona

There is a need to continue primary healthcare services through digital communication for disadvantaged women living in underdeveloped areas of Pakistan, especially in the age of coronavirus pandemic, social distancing, and lockdown of communities. This project will be the first of its kind in aiming to provide women with a smartphone and digital access for a digital health literacy intervention through community healthcare workers. The majority of poor women in Pakistan who are dependent on primary health services: 1. suffer from health challenges more than men due to multiple social and structural disadvantages, 2. are the dominant care-providers and nurturers in the home, and 3. need support in understanding public health messages during health crises due to low health literacy and awareness. The digital health literacy intervention will be delivered in target two areas: (i) hygiene and sanitation, and (ii) coronavirus awareness and prevention. Women will be sampled from disadvantaged areas across the four provinces of Pakistan- Baluchistan, KPK, Punjab, and Sindh. A target of 1,000 women will comprise the sample with 500 women each assigned to the control and experiment group.

Inclusion criteria

• Disadvantaged women dependent on primary healthcare services
• Women of the reproductive age group, 15 years to 49 years

Exclusion criteria

• Women above 49 years