Mobile technologies for managing non- communicable diseases in developing countries

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the global leading cause of morbidity and mortality and disproportionately affect more in the less developed countries. Mobile technologies are being used for a variety of purposes in healthcare. Most importantly, they are enabling new ways for NCDs management by providing powerful tools to both doctors and patients for effective prevention and treatment. As the common risk factors of NCDs are related to human behavior; therefore, mobile phone-based health solutions can be used to combat with rising burden of NCDs by focusing on behavioral change programs to promote a healthy lifestyle. This chapter discusses the common NCDs, their burden, and future estimated projections, and shows how mobile phone technologies can provide effective NCDs management in developing countries-which have a lot of issues in their healthcare systems.