Waikato District Health Board is trialling the use of incentives such as mobile phones and monthly top-ups, along with the DHB's SmartHealth system, to encourage local kids with rheumatic fever to persist with their long-term antibiotic regimen.

Waikato DHB has partnered with telecommunications firm Spark on the trial, in which youngsters are given Samsung Galaxy Smartphones and monthly top-ups courtesy of prepay network Activata. The participants receive the top-up each time they present for their monthly injections, and they are sent reminders through the SmartHealth platform.