New use of wireless technology: a giant leap for health care in Uganda
The launch of a nationwide, wireless network to improve Uganda's ability to
treat patients and combat the spread of disease was announced last month.
The network is built around the country's well-established cell phone
network, inexpensive handheld computers, and innovative wireless servers called
"Jacks." The technology allows health care workers to access and share
critical information in remote facilities without fixed telephone lines or
regular access to electricity.
The announcement was made by Canada's International Development Research
Centre (IDRC), WideRay, a wireless technology company based in San Francisco,
and SATELLIFE, a non-profit organization focused on improving health in
developing countries. The network was announced in occasion of the upcoming
Emerging Technologies Conference to be held at MIT in Boston, September 24-25,
2003.
The Jack servers, which are about the size of a thick textbook and use long
lasting industrial-grade batteries (a single charge lasts up to a year) are
being installed in health care facilities across Uganda. Health workers can link
to the device using the infrared port on their handheld computers to retrieve or
submit information, and to access email.
"This is going to be a giant leap forward for Ugandan health care. It
could save thousands of lives and have significant benefits in health outcomes
for Uganda's citizens," said Holly Ladd, Executive Director of SATELLIFE.
This project will provide health practitioners in the field with tools that
were previously unavailable or outdated. For example, users can now access the
latest treatment guidelines for tuberculosis and malaria and learn of the most
cost-effective approaches to fight HIV/AIDS, which infects one in 10 adults in
Uganda. They can also read the latest medical journals and textbooks from around
the world, in a digital form.
The technology should also improve health care administration by reducing the
time taken to submit, analyze and respond to reports and requests for
supplies.
Recognizing the potential of this technology for Uganda, Connectivity Africa,
a Canadian government initiative managed by IDRC and funded from Canada's Fund
for Africa, contributed $761,000 CAD to the development of this information
network."
The convergence of new technologies low-cost handhelds, broad and reliable
wireless coverage and WideRay's innovative use of it have made applications that
once seemed impossible in Africa a reality," said Richard Fuchs, Director
of IDRC's Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D)
program area. "This project will be a powerful example to the rest of the
world of what is possible with wireless technology."
More information:
Article courtesy IDRC. Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is one of the
world's leading institutions in the generation and application of new knowledge
to meet the challenges of international development. For more than 30 years,
IDRC has worked in close collaboration with researchers from the developing
world in their search for the means to build healthier, more equitable, and more
prosperous societies.
Diane Hardy dhardy@idrc.ca
Related links:
http://www.idrc.ca/
http://www.wideray.com/
http://www.healthnet.org/index.php
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