Sandwell’s Public Health Team is helping people manage medical conditions through a multi-lingual phone app.

Sandwell’s Healthy Ageing app is already helping more than 1,400 people to effectively manage diseases and is offering advice on prevention and management of conditions such as including Type 2 Diabetes, poor mental health, asthma, high blood pressure, and menopause.

The app is designed to make access to health and wellness advice more equitable using culturally sensitive information in many languages.

This gives patients from diverse backgrounds the tools and support they need to manage their health effectively.

Residents can download the Healthy Ageing app. The project is a collaboration between Sandwell Public Health and Health Fabric, working together to engage with local charities and community groups to reach all areas of the community. Last month, it was announced that the project has been shortlisted for the Public Health Award by the Local Government Chronicle in their annual awards for councils.

The app supports with managing self-care such as alerting service users when medication is due to be taken. It also signposts to other health services available within from Sandwell’s public health team.

Councillor Syeda Khatun, Cabinet Member for Public Health and communities said: “We want to help all our residents to live longer in good health, and this app is a way to reach everyone in Sandwell, offering quality advice, health information and support to manage conditions to stay well. “The pandemic shone a light on health inequalities highlighting that those from an ethnic minority background were more affected by Covid-19 and had a higher risk of having chronic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Sandwell has a rich and evolving ethnic diversity, with over a third of its population belonging to black and Asian ethnic groups.

"To help lessen health inequalities, we have the Healthy Ageing app providing healthcare information for everyone, regardless of language ability or background. The app is in a really simple-to-use format making it easier for people to access the support, advice and help they need to improve their health.

“This project already has national recognition having been shortlisted for a Local Government Chronicle Award, and I would encourage everyone to sign up for the app so you can benefit from the advice and support available.”

Liann Brookes-Smith, interim Director of Public Health in Sandwell, said: “This app supports patients from diverse backgrounds to manage their health conditions effectively, providing support in the way that makes most sense to them. We are pleased with the success of the first phase of rolling out and want more people to download the app to get the health benefits that are on offer within this innovative digital platform.”