Every Monday, Rwanda’s health minister, Dr Agnes Binagwaho explores the potential of using Social to direct communicate with people who asked questions and receive about Rwanda’s Health sector.
Questions which are addressed @agnesbinagwaho take to Twitter for her #Ministermondays Twitter chats.
It is obvious Social media can be used to inform the public of outbreaks, according to researchers from Kansas State University.
Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho says on her blog: “It is so important for Rwandans to be able to communicate with their government.
In the Ministry of Health and throughout the central government, we strive for transparency, accountability, and accessibility.”
But although Twitter is popular in Rwanda, penetration is still low, so Nyaruka Listen program has been set up to enable people to engage via SMS, and health workers in each village are encouraged to make mobile phones available for people to contact the minister, with the minister promising to explore every claim.
A 2010 study claimed that people around the world are increasingly dependent on social media to seek help during disasters.
A study published in October of the same year said that social networking sites can help reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
However, the experts who conducted the new study looked at whether posts placed online by public figures can have a large impact on awareness of infectious disease and boost knowledge of the benefits of flu shots, washing of hands, or sneezing into elbows for preventing the spread of illnesses.
Researchers have found that the coming years will be presented by a revolution in communication and information technology where local citizens will be able to learn about things affecting their health through social media and will improve the way awareness is raised to protect people’s health.
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