Ericsson is joining forces with the United Nations Office for Partnerships to use telecommunications to bring mobile-health applications and services (m-health) and telemedicine to rural Africa. As a founding member of the UN's Digital Health Initiative, Ericsson is taking another step in its ongoing commitment to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which aim to reduce global extreme poverty.

The Digital Health Initiative (DHI) is a public/private partnership that works to create innovative models for the development and delivery of global health to millions in developing countries. This will be critical to help achieve those Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are related to health, which specifically address the need to tackle diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious and communicable diseases, reduce child mortality, and improve maternal health. The MDG named "Develop a global partnership for development" also points out the vital role that the private sector can play, especially in terms of information and communication technology, in meeting the other goals.

Mobile communications have proved to make a positive difference to people in developing countries, enabling cost-effective access to basic services, such as health, particularly in rural areas where there is little or no infrastructure.

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