MEF Global mHealth and Wearables 2015 Report indicates strong uptake of mHealth in Growth Markets

• Globally 44% of mobile media users have seen a medical professional using a mobile device during treatment or diagnosis
• Use of Health & Fitness Apps up a third worldwide
• South Africa and Nigeria among heaviest users

7 April 2015, London: Global mobile trade body Mobile Ecosystem Forum today on World Health Day published its mHealth and Wearables Report 2015.  Supported by AVG Technologies, the Report reveals the usage trends and attitudes of 15,000 mobile consumers in 15 countries surveyed across five continents.

The Report indicates that adoption of health and fitness apps globally has grown year on year by more than a third, from 11 to 15 per cent with consumers worldwide confirming that they use them on a regular basis.  Similarly, the use of medical apps has grown by a fifth from 8 to 10 per cent.  Women are the most enthusiastic users with 50 per cent more likely to use health and fitness apps and a third more likely to use medical apps.

At a country level:

• South Africans are keenest on health and fitness apps(22 per cent vs the global average of 15 per cent), while Nigerian mobile media users are most likely to use medical apps (usage has more than doubled in a year from 7-17 per cent).
• More than half of those surveyed use wellbeing apps, with a fifth using them to help them manage their weight.
• In Qatar and Saudi Arabia more than half of consumers have seen mHealth in action by medical professionals and in the UAE it’s almost two-thirds.

Rimma Perelmuter, CEO at MEF said: “mHealth and wearable devices represent a significant opportunity for growth and collaboration across sectors of the mobile ecosystem.  New technologies and innovative apps are improving consumers’ lives; facilitating fitness and wellbeing whilst providing greater access to essential & state-of-the-art healthcare. As the report confirms, adoption of mHealth services is accelerated in growth markets such as Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa.

At the same time, the emergence of these exciting new sectors while delivering many benefits for businesses and consumers, also creates risks and responsibilities. The information collected by these apps and devices is by its very nature both personal and extremely sensitive, calling for the industry to be vigilant when rolling out such services.”

Trust is cited as the largest single obstacle to growth in the mobile content and commerce industry with 40 per cent of respondents indicating that a lack of trust is the number one factor that prevents them from downloading items more often.

Download the full MEF Global mHealth and Wearables Report 2015 – including AVG Technology’s assessment of the privacy implications – HERE.

ENDS

About Mobile Ecosystem Forum

Mobile Ecosystem Forum is a global trade body that acts as an impartial and authoritative champion for addressing issues affecting the broadening mobile ecosystem. We provide our members with a global and cross-sector platform for networking, collaboration and advancing industry solutions. The goal is to accelerate the growth of a sustainable mobile ecosystem that drives inclusion for all and delivers trusted services that enrich the lives of consumers worldwide. Established in 2000 and headquartered in the UK, MEF has Regional Chapters across Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North and Latin America.

About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)

AVG is the online security company providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people.  AVG has over 188 million active users, as of September 30 2014, using AVG’s products and services including Internet security, performance optimization, and personal privacy and identity protection. By choosing AVG’s products, users become part of a trusted global community that engages directly with AVG to provide feedback and offer mutual support to other customers.