Deprived communities in India experience a range of health challenges as the result of a mixture of lack of access to information technologies, and difficulties in accessing health information and provision. This article reports on an intervention centred on the use of the social media platform, WhatsApp, in order to promote eye health communication. The case study based research was conducted in the village of Chowbaga, close to Kolkata, in West Bengal, with women participants who had low levels of education and high levels of unemployment. The women were invited to participate in a WhatsApp intervention that comprised five educational sessions. Participants were recruited through the local school that their children attended. Shortly after the conclusion of the intervention, focus groups were conducted with the participants in order to develop an understanding of participants views of the beneficial characteristics of such a social media based intervention, and, more specifically, the benefits of WhatsApp in increasing awareness of eye problems within their community. This research demonstrates and summarises the benefits of WhatsApp as a communications medium for deprived communities, as well as its potential for increasing awareness of eye problems. In particular, participants were of the view that future access to WhatsApp and other mobile-based platforms empowered them to take better care of their own and their family’s health.

由于缺乏信息技术，以及获取卫生信息和提供的困难，印度的贫困社区面临着一系列卫生挑战。本文报告了一项干预措施，该干预措施以社交媒体平台WhatsApp的使用为中心，目的是促进眼保健交流。基于案例研究的研究是在西孟加拉邦加尔各答附近的Chowbaga村进行的，受教育程度低，失业率高的女性参与者。这些女性被邀请参加WhatsApp的干预措施，该干预措施包括五次教育会议。参加者是通过其子女所在的当地学校招募的。干预结束后不久，与参与者进行了焦点小组讨论，以加深参与者对这种基于社交媒体的干预的有益特征的看法的理解，更具体地说，是WhatsApp在提高社区中对眼部问题的认识方面的益处。这项研究展示并总结了WhatsApp作为贫困社区通信媒介的好处，以及它在增强人们对眼部问题的认识方面的潜力。特别是，与会者认为，将来对WhatsApp和其他基于移动平台的访问将使他们能够更好地照顾自己和家人的健康。WhatsApp的好处，可以提高他们社区内对眼部疾病的认识。这项研究展示并总结了WhatsApp作为贫困社区通信媒介的好处，以及它在增强人们对眼部问题的认识方面的潜力。特别是，与会者认为，将来对WhatsApp和其他基于移动平台的访问将使他们能够更好地照顾自己和家人的健康。WhatsApp的好处，可以提高他们社区内对眼部疾病的认识。这项研究展示并总结了WhatsApp作为贫困社区通信媒介的好处，以及它在增强人们对眼部问题的认识方面的潜力。特别是，与会者认为，将来对WhatsApp和其他基于移动平台的访问将使他们能够更好地照顾自己和家人的健康。