Using ringtone messages for outreach on Covid-19 in Pakistan

An intervention in Pakistan replaced the mobile phone dial tone you hear when calling someone with a recorded behaviourally-informed health message on COVID-19, which appealed among other factors to people’s sense of responsibility towards their loved ones. Over 113 million people heard the message, making it by far the most effective communication medium adopted by the Government. Coronavirus Attitude Tracker Surveys carried out by Gallup Pakistan seem to indicate that the ringtone messages positively impacted knowledge, perceptions and behaviours related to COVID – for instance, people reported being 43% more likely to wear masks.