connecting for health research in africa international workshop on african research &...
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Connecting for Health Research in Africa International Workshop on African Research & Networking. Dr Joan Dzenowagis World Health Organization CERN, Geneva, September 2005. Outline. World Health Organization's African Region Information & communication technologies (ICT) for health programs - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Connecting for Health Research in Africa
International Workshop on African Research & Networking
Dr Joan DzenowagisWorld Health Organization
CERN, Geneva, September 2005
2World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
OutlineI. World Health Organization's
African RegionII. Information & communication
technologies (ICT) for health programs
III. ICT in support of WHO programs
3World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
World Health Organization• Specialized agency of the United Nations• Public health mandate, founded 1948• 6000 staff: headquarters (Geneva), regional
offices and 192 countries• Major initiatives for combating infectious
diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, influenza, polio); improving maternal and child health; tobacco control, others
4World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Example: Causes of death WHO African Region, stratum E
34%
39%
20%
7%Communicable diseases(inc luding maternal causes)HIV, TB, malaria
Noncommunicable conditions
Injuries
Source: World health report, 2004
5World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Effects of globalization: Epidemics affect travel and trade
Source: WHO 2005
6World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
ICT is fundamental in health research
• Improve flow of information and increase research and operational efficiency
• Quality and safety: avoid mistakes, reduce costs and duplication
• Access to tools for learning, research and practice
• Access to information, data, products, advice
7World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Model of ICT in health systems
TelecommunicationsConnectivity infrastructure
Internet services
Geographicdispersion
Organizationalinfrastructure
Individual users
Pervasiveness
Organizational users
Sectoral absorption
Characteristicsof use
8World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Spending on health, ICT and education, Kenya (% GDP, 2002)
0
2.5
5
7.5
10
Health ICT Education
PublicPrivateTotal
GDP: 12 224 740 000
% GDP
Sources: WHO 2005, ITU 2004, UNDP 2004
9World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Making ICT work for health: Health InterNetwork
One of four major initiatives of the UN Millennium Action Plan, Sept 2000
Supports public health programs and priorities • Content: relevant, high quality, affordable• Connectivity: improving Internet access• Capacity: training to use information effectively• Policy: creating a facilitating environment
10World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
HIN Access to Research Initiative
• First HIN success: major breakthrough in making content available
• Partnership between WHO and journal publishers
• Delivers 2900+ biomedical journals online, free or at low cost, to health institutions in 113 low-income countries
• Addition of agriculture (FAO) & environment (UNEP) to partnership, collections
11World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
• Jointly managed funding agency, supported by voluntary contributions
• 2 goals: building research capacity and developing new tools for disease control
• Focuses on 10 tropical diseases
12World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
TDR's strategic use of ICTSince the 1990s has incorporated eMail,
Internet into program and outreach• SatelLife launch and support: 1992-95• Hardware installations: 1993-98• Connectivity solutions: 1998-2000• LAN installations: 1998-2000• Training courses & materials for HINARI
institutions
13World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
Supporting WHO's work in countries: WHO Global Private
Network (1)• Began in 1999 with 6 regional offices• Adding country offices and health centers
(approx 150)• Connectivity with satellite (Norway) and
terrestrial links (Geneva hub)• WHO offices in Africa mainly connected
via satellite, with some VPN connections via ISP
14World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
40 offices connected Target: all countries by early
2006
15World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
WHO Global Private Network (2)
• Services include voice, video conferencing, Internet and data
• Firewalls at hubs & local offices• Bandwidth 1Mbps for regional office,
128/192 Kbps for country offices• GPN crucial for integrated WHO global
management & services at country level
16World Health OrganizationSeptember 2005
WHO Global Private Network (3)
• Part of the CERN consortium for Internet access
• WHO has started using the network of scientists (Sinet, Geant) to connect offices
• Seek to collaborate more closely with other networks, to benefit in the future
Joan [email protected]
With thanks to WHO colleaguesG. Kernen, D. Metais, S. Wayling