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Background: Literature on the development of mHealth tools for public health interventions is scarce. This scarcity creates a knowledge gap, and new tools may repeat the mistakes of past implementations. Objective: In this paper, we describe how we developed Shesha, a WhatsApp-based chatbot designed to facilitate linkage-to-care for household contacts of TB patients. Shesha facilitates linkage by providing TB test results, TB and preventive therapy information, nudges, reminders, and personalised support to promote linkage to care. We developed the Shesha to address the human resource capacity challenges posed by South Africa’s new universal TB testing and tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) policies. Methods: We applied a design thinking framework with seven phases: empathise, discover, define, prototype, build and launch, improve, and evaluate. The process started with gathering insights from TB contact tracing studies and consulting with global and local experts to address the challenges of universal TB testing and TPT. Based on these findings, we defined the core functionalities of Shesha and incorporated the Health Belief Model (HBM) to encourage health-seeking behaviour. In collaboration with the developers, we developed the WhatsApp-based chatbot. We selected WhatsApp for its wide accessibility and user-friendliness. Results: We successfully developed and launched the Shesha in September 2023, with implementation expected to continue until March 2025. Early user acceptance revealed that users generally valued the information provided on the tool regarding TB and TPT; however, they required ongoing engagement to link to care. Ongoing evaluations, guided by the RE-AIM framework, will assess the tool’s impact on reducing community health worker workloads and improving linkage-to-care. Conclusions: Documenting the development of mHealth technologies is crucial for guiding future projects and improving health interventions. In our study, frameworks like design thinking and the health belief model aligned the Shesha with user needs and programmatic goals. Comprehensive documentation may help assess the chatbot’s performance and guide future improvements, supporting scalability and efficiency in mHealth interventions across public health settings.

Learn how to boost customer engagement and drive business growth with WhatsApp Marketing. This ultimate guide covers strategies, best practices, and tips to effectively leverage WhatsApp for business ...

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WhatsApp Business Manager is a one-stop solution for businesses to develop, deploy, and manage WhatsApp campaigns, their analytics, and integrations with WhatsApp Business API