Johns Hopkins University (JHU) had collaborated with BBC Media Action between 2018 to 2020 on a large program of research to investigate the impact of Kilkari and Mobile Academy. As part of this research, Johns Hopkins has conducted a randomized control trial (RCT) with funding from the Gates Foundation to evaluate the impact of Kilkari on women’s knowledge, attitudes and practices on RMNCH indicators in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The study also sought to understand factors underpinning women’s access to and use of mobile phones and linkages between phone access knowledge, care-seeking, practices and health outcomes.
As part of the research, JHU has completed baseline data collection activities, a comparison of the efficacy of phone surveys and face to face surveys, a secondary analyses of National Family Health Survey data to inform the RCT, cognitive testing of survey instruments, endline surveys with both women and men enrolled in the RCT, longitudinal analysis of system generated data for both Kilkari subscribers enrolled in the RCT over 72 weeks and Kilkari at scale, and qualitative research with Kilkari subscribers.
JHU has also conducted qualitative research with frontline health workers in Rajasthan about their response to and experiences of Mobile Academy, and with health workers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan about their response to and experiences of capturing RMNCH data for the government’s databases.
To download the main protocol paper click on the 'Download Report' at the end of this page.
Following additional publications are available here:
1. RMC protocol paper
2. Cognitive testing
3. Use of big data and machine learning
4. Using Machine Learning to Optimize the Quality of Survey Data
5. Does having a mobile phone matter? Linking phone access among women to health in India
6. Novel approaches to measuring knowledge among frontline health workers in India
7. Does women’s mobile phone ownership matter for health?