POST 01135E : SCIENCE FICTION ??

POST 01135E : SCIENCE FICTION ?? 5 August 2007 ____________________________________ For most of us if not all, computers, softwares and the Internet are such an integral part of our life that we even don't think about this any further. Despite important progress, large areas of the world are nevertheless still excluded. That's why the following article attracted my attention. " Ambient_Wireless_Networks_for_Sub-Saharan_Africa's_Health_System : Tremendous promise despite myriad constraints" by Adesina_Iluyemi from the Centre for Healthcare Modelling & Informatics,University of Portsmouth, UK, posted on-line in July 2007. The author states that "there is a need to provide connectivity and access to the much needed and poorly distributed health knowledge and expertise within the health system in Sub-Saharan Africa. Connectivity and access through wireless networks could make possible communication between different levels of the health system, which in turn could ensure the coordination and cooperation between varied and distributed actors and infrastructure." Who hasn't dreamt like I did, to see a province or a state, for example, where all health centers and districts would be linked by Internet, with computerized vaccination data report forms transmitted and aggregated from one level up to the other, in a database where rates could be calculated automatically and all sorts of graphs generated. Wouldn't the information system be more reliable, complete and up-to-date. Technically with a software that I will not name (with which the new Technet21 expert database is built by the way) this is absolutely feasible and realistic. The dream may come true one day. One can also think in terms of opportunities for health personnel continuing and distance learning. But what is missing is indeed access and connectivity. The telephone network will still need decades to develop enough. We cannot even think of optic cables. But is the wireless proposition realistic, or affordable? I admit at having no idea of the costs. I hope some of you have experience to share their knowledge and their ideas on the topic. ______________________________________________________________________________ All members of the TechNet21 e-Forum are invited to send comments on any posting or to use the forum to raise a new discussion or request technical information in relation to immunization services. The comments made in this forum are the sole responsibility of the writers and do not in any way mean that they are endorsed by any of the organizations and agencies to which the authors may belong. ______________________________________________________________________________ Visit the TECHNET21 Website at http://www.technet21.org You will find instructions to subscribe, a direct access to archives, links to reference documents and other features. ______________________________________________________________________________ To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to : [[email protected]][email protected][/email] ___________________________