The most promising applications of mHealth for now are public-health messaging, stitching together smart medical grids, extending the reach of scarce health workers and establishing surveillance networks for infectious diseases. The use of the technology is spreading: a recent report funded by the UN Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation, two charities, documented more than four dozen projects across the developing world.

It's truly wonderful to see such an idea catch on and gain traction -- one that's both clever and full of conscience -- but a little bit of a bummer that the design expertise that's made it so successful gets such short mention. Project M is introduced as a co-operative project between South African outreach program iTeach, mobile carrier MTN, and "American academics and several other innovative groups." Careful followers of the project will recognize that frogdesign is one of those "innovative groups," and the extensive effort the consultancy has put into the structure of the project and some of its future extensions (like a locally appropriate testing kit, which the article does mention) has been key.

Still, we're not complaining. In a design environment where the most awarded products rarely make an impact on more than a handful of enthusiasts, a project with this kind of global reach and positive influence is worth a little short shrift.

For a longer collection of news and articles on Project M, check out frogdesign's page on the project here.