Download Source: WHO 2005 - International Workshop on African Research

Connecting for Health
Research in Africa
International Workshop on
African Research & Networking
Dr Joan Dzenowagis
World Health Organization
CERN, Geneva, September 2005
Outline
I.
World Health Organization's
African Region
II. Information & communication
technologies (ICT) for health
programs
III. ICT in support of WHO programs
World Health Organization
September 2005
2
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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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Example: Causes of death
WHO African Region, stratum E
7%
20%
34%
Communicable diseases
(including maternal causes)
HIV, TB, malaria
Noncommunicable conditions
Injuries
39%
World Health Organization
September 2005
Source: World health report, 2004
4
Effects of globalization: Epidemics
affect travel and trade
World Health Organization
September 2005
Source: WHO 2005
5
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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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Model of ICT in health systems
Individual users
Pervasiveness
Organizational
infrastructure
Geographic
dispersion
World Health Organization
September 2005
Organizational users
Characteristics
of use
Sectoral
absorption
Internet services
Telecommunications
Connectivity
infrastructure
7
Spending on health, ICT and
education, Kenya (% GDP, 2002)
10
GDP: 12 224 740 000
Public
Private
Total
7.5
% GDP
5
2.5
0
World Health Organization
September 2005
Health
ICT
Education
Sources: WHO 2005, ITU 2004, UNDP 2004
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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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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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 lowincome countries
• Addition of agriculture (FAO) & environment
(UNEP) to partnership, collections
World Health Organization
September 2005
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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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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TDR's strategic use of ICT
Since 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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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40 offices connected
Target: all countries by early 2006
World Health Organization
September 2005
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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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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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
World Health Organization
September 2005
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Joan Dzenowagis
[email protected]
With thanks to WHO colleagues
G. Kernen, D. Metais, S. Wayling