1. Title: Information and Communication Technology in Cameroon A discussion on a 3 year experience and the future of ICT in health in a resource limited setting
Author: Mbah P Okwen(1), Moussa Charlot(1), Rene Lamyam(2), Bolima N Akwi(2), Capo Mireille(1) – (1) Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) (2) Health Development and Consultancy Services
Guiding Questions
How do we improve quality of data collection in SSA?
How can we remotely monitor health campaigns like immunization to ensure resources are well governed?
What options do we have for software usage?
Motivating Concerns/ Issue
Lack of housing addresses in SSA
Poor governance of resources for health campaigns (immunizations, bed nets distribution etc)
The lack of exploitation of the potentials of GPS to map out communities and health interventions
The lack of exploitation of mobile gadgets for data collection
Context(s)
A discussion on a 3 year experience and the future of ICT in health in a resource limited setting. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized work experience in the 21st century in all sectors including the health sector. In the health sector information and communication technology has developed in the concept of electronic Health (eHealth) or telemedicine and from whence has emerged the concept of mobile Health (mHealth). However these have been little utilized in the sub Saharan Africa (SSA); where paradoxically this is the situation where ICT will have the greatest impact and usefulness in health development.
Materials and Methods
Gadgets: Personal digital assistants (PDAs), Global positioning systems (GPS) machines, mobile phones, Laptops
Open source software (OSS): Episurveyor, EpiInfo, Microsoft Access.
A total of 7 studies have been carried out using mHealth tools, these include sample collection studies, children nutritional status monitoring, and survey for community mutual health organization and investigating governance issues at public hospitals; 01 is currently on the way and this will help in mapping out watersheds and grazing land in order to reduce contamination of water source and reduce conflict between farmers and nomadic grazers.
SNV Cameroon has transferred skills on using mHealth to a local capacity building organization, Health Development and consultancy services (HEDECS), working in health to ensure sustainability.
Episurveyor makes use of mobile options, including remote data collection exploiting the presence of GSM, GPRS and EDGE technologies.
Challenges
Lack of Google Earth coverage of parts of SSA
Lack of willingness of public health staff to use tools which will increase accountability
Some images of field mHealth activities
Screen capture of episurveyor Collecting data in the field with PDA
in Wum, NW Region, Cameroon
Conclusions
mHealth will significantly address governance issues with health interventions like immunizations, bed nets distributions and running hospitals.
ICT in health is the way to the future for health development in SSA
Governments, civil society organizations and development organizations need to be more committed in using ICT in health in SSA
mHealth tools will help address issues of lack of house numbering in SSA
EpiSurveyor is the most user friendly OSS in this experience.
Way Forward
Develop capacity in the use of mHealth tools in health staff.
Increase investments in mHealth and increase their use in health interventions
Scale out activities done so far with mHealth especially in the area of mapping out communities for community mutual health schemes
Assess cost of poor governance of immunization and bed nets and compare this to investment in mHealth remote monitoring tools.
SNV’s strategic positioning
Years of experience in health development and capacity building
Large number of experienced advisors
Existing network with local capacity builders
Acknowledgements
mHealth for Development – A opportunity of mobile technology for Health Care in the developing World. United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Partnership
Sustainable information technologies to benefit the worlds most needy populations;
Governance for empowerment and management for results – SNV internal documents