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Presented at the ICT-Africa 2008 UNECA, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Building the African Union Continental eHealth Network: Making the case for Low Cost Wireless Broadband Infrastructure. Presented at the ICT-Africa 2008 UNECA, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Health Problems in Africa. Lack of Infrastructure and Capacity Healthcare delivery

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Presented at the ICT-Africa 2008 UNECA, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

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  1. Building the African Union Continental eHealth Network: Making the case for Low Cost Wireless Broadband Infrastructure Presented at the ICT-Africa 2008 UNECA, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

  2. Health Problems in Africa • Lack of Infrastructure and Capacity Healthcare delivery • Brain Drain: International and Local (Rural vs. Urban) • Africa has 10% of world population with 25% of global health burden but with only 3% of global health workforce • Poverty & Financial constraints • HIV/AIDS accounted for 2.4 million deaths alone in 2002 • 40% survive on less than $1 per day • Malaria related mortality is at 1 million deaths (mostly children) yearly • Enormous economic cost on health systems • 10% of individual income • Human resources impact (Brain Drain) • 10% of global population with 25% global diseases burden tackled by only 3% of global healthwork

  3. African Regional Policy for eHealth • Africa Union through New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) calls for using ICTs : • to improve patient care • for sharing health knowledge • To build human resource capacity • for health system development • EU/Africa Partnership (Lisbon Strategy) in Africa: • Health sector development • Telecommunication sector development • eHealth infrastructure for Africa

  4. Multi-sectoral collaboration for eHealth • eHealth is the use of information(data) and communication technologies for health processes (Health System) either locally and at a distance (WHO 2005) • NEPAD’s Action Plan Strategy on sector development • Alignment between telecom and health sectors • Calls for a continental-wide eHealth infrastructure based on Satellite Infrastructure • NEPAD’s eHealth for: • Communication system • Integration of & access to vertical HISs • Extending healthcare to isolated and rural communities and populations

  5. Why eHealth in Africa? • To provide access to distributed health knowledge and information to mostly rural health workers. • Urgency is required to meet the MDGs targets and to reverse the poor health and developmental ratings • Geographical barriers to access health service provision especially in Africa (rural areas). • Connectivity ( wireless telecommunications) is becoming widely accessible and available even in rural communities • Issues: Cost, existing health problems etc

  6. From eHealth to mHealth: Voice of Reason • Mobile devices are relatively cheaper that Fixed computers • Consumes less power (Lack of electricity) • They are portable, hence more secured? • Wireless networks are relatively cheaper and faster to build relative to build than fixed networks. For example , the Nigerian case • Mobile/ Wireless technologies provide the best opportunity for Africa to achieve the “ Africa interconnectivity objective and for building eHealth Infrastructure (EU strategy) • Case studies below supports this proposition

  7. Emerging Africa-wide eHealth initiatives • Africa Health Infoway (AHI) • WHO-led • Telemed Task Force eHealth for Africa • EU/ESA-led • Pan African e-Network • Indian Government-led • All have in common satellite network for providing access

  8. Broadband Telecom Infrastructure & eHealth Convergence • AU/NEPAD calls for collaborative alliance between the telecom and health sectors for eHealth applications development in Africa • Beyond SMS/Cellphone to: • Broadband Wireless -WiFi, WiMax, Satellite, (VSAT), EDGE/3G/ HSPDA • Broadband Access devices- Laptops, PDAs, Smartphone, Desktops • Barriers • Telecommunication Infrastructure ( policy, high investment costs , availability) • Power /Electrical Infrastructure • Economic Infrastructure - Low-income

  9. Lessons from African Cases • UHIN-GPRS:- still limited in bandwidth • Early generation PDAs-Planning for Smartphones • Solar Energy • Cell-Life- GPRS/3G- Business model • PDAs/Smartphones • FMFI/MUTI Telehealth- Long distance WiFi- WAN&LAN, VSAT- expensive, policy barriers • Considering 3G • Desktop Laptops WiFi -CellPhones • Solar Energy

  10. Issues • 70% of IT projects globally are failures: Note failure here is multifaceted • Africa is not faring better either • Same problem with eHealth projects especially in Africa • Hence, problem is sustainability which can be: • Organisational • Social/cultural • Human (Health Workers) • Technological

  11. Lessons: An Africa-wide eHealth Network • Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Communication Network (MiMCom) • A continental-wide eHealth Infrastructure with 12 National nodes • Inter-national nodes mostly with VSATs • VSATs chosen over fibre-optics at inception • Intra-national communication with terrestrial wireless-WiFi, microwave link • Devices-Laptops, PDAs, PCs • Reveals different solutions for national nodes- depends on availability and costs of bandwidths

  12. MiMCom National nodes Telecom Infrastructure

  13. Issues & Solution • Issues • Non-availability of Broadband Access • High costs of broadband access especially of satellite connectivity access • Possible solution ? • New paradigm needed: Shift towards High Efficiency Terminals (Low cost is not the ideal terminology!) • Low Cost laptops and mobiles and backbone is the new paradigm shift that is happening • Low-cost Broadband Wireless Infrastructure • Introducing EU funded DigitalWorld project on Low-cost Technology • Bring this issue into global business and developmental agendas

  14. DigitalWorld EU Project: Introduction • European Research Framework • Framework Programme 7 (2007-2013) just started • DigitalWorld FP7-216513 is an 18 month research project • ICT-1-9.1 - International Cooperation (Africa and Latin America) • Coordination and Support Action • Duration: 18 Months • Start: January 1, 2008

  15. DigitalWorld EU Project areas:

  16. Conclusion • eHealth is strategic to health system development in Africa/developing countries as in EU-Africa strategic policies • Broadband Wireless Infrastructure for eHealth Infrastructure in Africa • New technologies for low cost satellite transmission where nothing else extends to • New mobile and wireless and new low cost solutions in terminals • Understanding contextual organisational issues is paramount • DigitalWorldForum for extending EU-Africa Partnership on Low-cost Wireless Infrastructures

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