The e-Health Africa Conference 2012: Integrating m-health into e-Health Strategy Implementation

The e-Health Africa Conference 2012: Integrating m-health into e-Health Strategy Implementation is one of the first multi-stakeholder events focusing on e-Health in Africa that will take place on the continent. The conference will identify best practices and lessons-learned from those who are in the process of developing, or have already developed national e-Health strategies. In addition, the conference places a special emphasis on m-health given that Africa has the fastest growing mobile market with over 50% of people using mobile phones. McKinsey estimated that opportunities in the global mobile healthcare market were worth between $50 and $60 billion in 2010 and growing. There are currently 5 billion wireless subscribers and 70% of them are in low and middle income countries. With such powerful technology already in the hands of millions, entrepreneurs in Africa will be able to capitalize on their versatility, building new businesses on existing and evolving technology. Specifically, mobile technology can be used to leverage health care delivery through:

• Membership authentication of Health Insurance programs for subscribers
• Access to emergency health care services by subscribers
• Providing specialist diagnosis and treatment through phone or video images or through combining mobile phones with other health technology
• Allowing individuals to communicate with health service providers through call centers, help lines, toll-free emergency services
• Using mobile phones to support communication between health service providers and clients through appointment and treatment reminders, community mobilization campaigns, and awareness raising about health issues
• Using mobile technology for health monitoring and data collection
• Providing access to health information for health care professionals at the point of care through decision support systems

For the telecommunications industry, a rapidly growing e-Health sector could represent a significant market opportunity, accelerated by the enhanced availability of java-enabled phones and mobile services in several countries.

For health and ICT entrepreneurs, a new platform creates an opportunity to develop innovative ideas that address existing problems or create new solutions to improve healthcare. Most African countries are not on track to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals so the need for innovation has never been greater.

Kenya is one of the first African countries to develop and begin to implement an e-Health strategy with a vision that focuses on developing efficient, accessible, equitable, secure, and consumer friendly healthcare services enabled by ICT.

This conference would provide an opportunity to focus on implementation of this new e-Health strategy by encouraging knowledge exchange, fostering new relationships and networking opportunities, not only among Kenya eHealth stakeholders but also with stakeholders from other parts of Africa and other regions.

e-Health Africa Conference Early Bird Registration only until 23rd March, 2012

For more information, please see: http://www.anadach.com/e-Health_Africa_Conference_2012.htm