Exploring Mobile Health Technology for Development: An Investigation of Design and Action to Foster Utility, Scalability, and Sustainability of Interventions in the Global South

The most valuable asset in a person's life is his or her health. Yet, in today's world, there is still great inequality in the promotion of this good. In this context, the use of mobile technologies particularly enriches people in more marginalized populations (e.g., with low healthcare coverage) by empowering them to address and promote their own health through appropriate actions. However, the impact of mobile health technology in terms of utility, scalability, and sustainability is still very limited. To shed more light on this challenge and explore the phenomenon of mobile health technology for development (mHealth4D), four studies were conducted and compiled in this cumulative dissertation. These studies provide a problem-oriented perspective on mHealth4D by examining both the design of mHealth and the actions stakeholders needed to take to address the challenges of adoption and long-term usage. This dissertation offers a multifaceted contribution to the promising but so far limited IS research on mHealth in support of the aspirational UN Development Goals (SDG 3).