Patricia Mechael talks about mHealth, its role in the eHealth ecosystem, and the mission of the mHealth Alliance, which was created to respond to the fragmentation of the eHealth ecosystem. Mechael notes that while there are now many mHealth pilot projects around the world, they do not necessarily consider the importance of standardization.

She adds that the mHealth Alliance is working on building an evidence base on how mHealth works, what works, and why it works. A major challenge, as well as an opportunity, she says, is identifying and emphasizing the benefits of mHealth.

Mechael mentions some mHealth projects in the Americas, including a maternal and child health initiative in Peru and a diabetes management and care project in Chile.

She adds that the mHealth Alliance is also working on policy issues, taking the entire mHealth environment into account. She comments that mHealth has been well received, but while many people are interested in it as a strategy, they do not always know where or how to begin approaching it. Hence, the importance of supporting capacity building.