Education as a Vaccine (EVA) with funding from Ford Foundation developed three (3) Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) themed mobile phone applications and an online community for young people. The Applications were developed under the Expanding Mobile and Social Networking Solutions for Adolescents and Young People Out-of-School SRHR (EMAPS) project. These technology tools offer a broad range of information on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Menstrual Health and Hygiene as well as referral to Youth Friendly Health Services facilities for adolescents and young people across Nigeria. The innovative technology tools include (1) Frisky: Sexual Health Risk Assessment and Informational App; (2) Diva: Menstrual Health and Care app; (3) Link Up: Youth Friendly Service Finder app and (4) Youth Pulse: Virtual youth community website.
The overall goal set to achieve on the EMAPS project was to expand the use of the mobile device based and social networking applications to increase access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, counseling and referrals for healthcare services by young people out of school across Nigeria with a focus on semi-urban communities in FCT.
Lessons learned during the implementation of the project will serve as a guide to the future project(s) that intends to explore the use of technology in reaching adolescents and young people with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, counseling and referrals for youth-friendly SRHR services.