Paywast, Afghanistan’s largest provider of social media has consistently gained recognition and acknowledgement since launching in 2011. In July 2014, Paywast won a Special Mention Award at the prestigious mBillionth event in the Indian capital of New Delhi. The trophy was awarded for the Paywast Call Center for Maternal Health in Kabul. The mHealth call center collaborates with Ministry of Public Health and CAF – an Afghan NGO – and helps pregnant women in rural areas deliver and raise their babies in safe and monitored conditions.
In its first year of operation, the call center has provided healthcare and referrals to thousands of women and their families. “The results from the first year of operations are highly positive. The call center has exceeded its targets in terms of outcome. Thousands of interventions have been successfully delivered, the ratio of childbirths in clinics versus at home in the affected areas has increased”, says Zahir Shafaq, Deputy CEO of Paywast.
mBillionth is organized by Vodafone and the Digital Empowerment Foundation, and recognizes leaders in mobile innovation from all over South Asia. Paywast is the only Afghan company to ever win an mBillionth award. In 2012, Paywast won an award for the Paywast SMS-based social network.
Paywast is known in Afghanistan to be an innovator in mobile and digital services. Paywast provides social media and other services for mobile phone users in the areas of media, health, government and education. Currently, more than 1.7 million Afghans use one or more Paywast services. Paywast aspires to remain a leader in mobile applications, and digital services in Afghanistan.