The Annual Observatory Conference presents awards to initiatives that transform access to healthcare in the Global South and are showcased on the www.odess.io website
Observatory Awards are accompanied by 12 months of technical and financial support provided by the Foundation to encourage and facilitate the development of e-health innovations in Africa and Asia.
THE PROBLEM
Medicines are one of the major healthcare
expenses, making access to them inequitable.
The use of expired products and the illegal sale of
medicines both constitute substantial health risks.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Jokko$anté is a secure web and mobile application
that offers more impartial access to medicines.
Users drop o¨ unused medicines at aliated
health centres in exchange for points on the mobile
application. The points can be applied to obtaining
other medicines by prescription, or can be
exchanged or purchased.
JokkoSanté gives companies the opportunity
to improve their social impact by funding medicines
for the population segments of their choice:
the beneficiaries are notified by SMS.
THE PROBLEM
A lack of knowledge
about and adherence to
vaccination schedules.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
OPISMS is designed to increase
immunisation coverage by through
SMS reminders on vaccination
dates and to raise awareness of
the importance of this medical
intervention. The solution also
makes it possible to obtain a
virtual vaccination card. By virtue
of a mandate from the Ministry
of Health and Public Hygiene,
the system has led to creation
of a vaccination database in
Côte d’Ivoire, making real-time
statistics available.
THE PROBLEM
Ethnic minorities and women living in remote
mountainous areas of Vietnam have lower health
indicators than the general population.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
mMom Thai Nguyen provides health information
through mobile phones to improve health-related
knowledge and behaviour of ethnic minority
women. The programme was the subject of
a research project and the authorities of Thai
Nguyen Province took over its implementation.
The model is expected to be replicated in
other districts.
THE PROBLEM
Côte d’Ivoire lacks specialists to ensure proper care
of patients with diabetes.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
eDiabète is designed to improve the quality of
diabetes care through an online education platform
available through low-speed internet, offering
continuing education for healthcare professionals,
including by holding international interactive
classes. The tool also incorporates Diabdata,
patient-tracking software to improve diabetic
patient care.
THE PROBLEM
In many emerging markets, the main healthcare
problems are usually costs, access and adherence
to treatment.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Connect Pharmacy is an affordable-medicine
programme, making it possible for patients to
receive sponsored discounts by supplying their
mobile phone number. They also receive healtheducation
messages and prescription-renewal
reminders to help them manage their illness,
while promoting patient loyalty to their chosen
pharmacy. This programme also provides market
information for health authorities about medicines
that were previously unavailable.
THE PROBLEM
In many emerging markets, the main healthcare
problems are usually costs, access and adherence
to treatment.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Connect Pharmacy is an affordable-medicine
programme, making it possible for patients to
receive sponsored discounts by supplying their
mobile phone number. They also receive healtheducation
messages and prescription-renewal
reminders to help them manage their illness,
while promoting patient loyalty to their chosen
pharmacy. This programme also provides market
information for health authorities about medicines
that were previously unavailable.
THE PROBLEM
Healthcare services are primarily located in urban
areas, meaning people living in mountain villages
must travel great distances, at great expense,
to access them.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
ICTs make it possible to provide health, vocationaltraining
and education programmes in remote
rural communities. C.H.E.S.T. others healthcare and
development programmes in hard-to-reach areas
through a teleconferencing system. Dermatology
teleconsultations are o¨ered by the DI Skin
Hospital and Research Center (DISHARC), the first
dermatology hospital in Nepal.
THE PROBLEM
Lack of awareness about the immunisation
schedule for children and pre- and postnatal
visits contributes to high rates of maternal
and infant mortality.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Karangué is an innovative alert system based
on calls in local languages and text messages,
two days and one day before vaccinations and preand
postnatal appointments. The call language
is based on the region, using national languages
(Wolof, Pulaar, Sera, Diola, French, etc.), with
messages recited by some of the country’s iconic
voices (Baba Maal, Simon Sene, Marie Ngoné, El
Hadji Ndiaye, etc.). Karangué also provides practical
advice for pregnant women and information on
periodic epidemics. Karangué also makes it possible
to schedule hospital appointments via USSD/SMS.
THE PROBLEM
The shortage of blood products in hospitals leads
to preventable deaths.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
HOPE is a network of interconnected blood
donors connected to blood banks through a digital
platform that uses text messages, voice calls in
local languages and IT tools. HOPE helps bloodtransfusion
structures create interconnected
networks of blood donors to expand the country’s
transfusion activity, particularly in the case
of urgent blood needs. HOPE also serves as
an interface to raise awareness about blood
donation among diverse groups of people.
THE PROBLEM
In West Africa, the leading causes of death are the
preventable complications of a disease. In Burkina
Faso and Mali, people resort to health care too little
or too late when their children fall sick, for cultural,
educational, geographical and/or financial reasons.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Djantoli’s mission is to reduce infant mortality
by facilitating access to preventive, long-term
healthcare services for families through an
inexpensive monthly subscription. This service
combines health insurance that reduces medical
costs for families, a home-monitoring network
that carries out regular health check-ups on young
children to rapidly detect childhood diseases,
and an education programme on prevention
and proper health practices. The association has
also developed an “electronic health record” to
facilitate monitoring, screening and early warning
in case of illness. The data are collected in a mobile
application by the Health Care Mediators and can
be viewed by health centres.
AFRICA CARDIAC CARE is a health program designed by HIMORE MEDICAL in partnership with many hospitals in Africa. Designed for low and middle-income Africans, this program offers subscribers the opportunity to receive four types of comprehensive cardiovascular examinations, annually unlimited (an electrocardiogram, blood pressure, blood glucose and oximetry). This program is available as a service in many hospitals in rural and semi-rural areas. Once the patient has subscribed online or at one of the centers, they receive a smart card that will allow them to receive complete cardiac monitoring in all AFRICA CARDIAC CARE centres for 12 months. Cardiac exams are carried out with a Cardiopad, a tablet performing ECG examination and transfering the data to cardiologists. Each examination performed is interpreted remotely by a cardiologist assigned to the patient, who monitors them throughout the year. Cardiologists receive the data on their phones or tablets, and can interpret it and send information on diagnoses and prescriptions back to the nurses in caring for patients from a mobile app developed for the project
THE PROBLEM
The problem: When lacking access to medical
personnel, individuals have diculty obtaining
reliable and/or appropriate health information.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Doctor Gratis is a mobile application that allows
free initial contact with a doctor, via instant
messaging, in Indonesian, English or French.
The objective is to reassure patients and possibly
refer them to a specialist if in-person consultation
is needed.
THE PROBLEM
The problem: When lacking access to medical
personnel, individuals have diculty obtaining
reliable and/or appropriate health information.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Doctor Gratis is a mobile application that allows
free initial contact with a doctor, via instant
messaging, in Indonesian, English or French.
The objective is to reassure patients and possibly
refer them to a specialist if in-person consultation
is needed.
THE PROBLEM
The problem: When lacking access to medical
personnel, individuals have diculty obtaining
reliable and/or appropriate health information.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Doctor Gratis is a mobile application that allows
free initial contact with a doctor, via instant
messaging, in Indonesian, English or French.
The objective is to reassure patients and possibly
refer them to a specialist if in-person consultation
is needed.
THE PROBLEM
Some health services are underutilised due to
geographical and financial impediments to access,
lack of health-related information and illiteracy.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
The Mosan initiative (a portmanteau for mobilesanté,
mobile health), implemented in 26 villages
of the Nouna Health District, was designed
to improve the health conditions of pregnant
women, mothers of children under age five
and people living with HIV. Mosan promotes
access to adequate, affordable, equitable health
services, along with targeted information on
health facilities. Through computers and mobile
phones, community entities and health workers
are connected to a patient-tracking platform, and
a local-language vocal server has been installed at
five health centres to raise awareness and generate
appointment reminders.
THE PROBLEM
39 million people in the world are blind, though
blindness could be prevented in more than 80%
of cases.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Working in conjunction with the Botswanan
government’s Expanded Program on
Immunisation (EPI), Peek Vision has introduced
systematic screening for schoolchildren through
a comprehensive national ophthalmic health
programme. Peek uses a visual-acuity application
on mobile phones. The information is automatically
sent to the ophthalmic health services to provide
treatment (glasses, eye drops etc.) when necessary
or to refer children for specialised care.
THE PROBLEM
39 million people in the world are blind, though
blindness could be prevented in more than 80%
of cases.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Working in conjunction with the Botswanan
government’s Expanded Program on
Immunisation (EPI), Peek Vision has introduced
systematic screening for schoolchildren through
a comprehensive national ophthalmic health
programme. Peek uses a visual-acuity application
on mobile phones. The information is automatically
sent to the ophthalmic health services to provide
treatment (glasses, eye drops etc.) when necessary
or to refer children for specialised care.
THE PROBLEM
In remote areas of India, poor health indicators
are primarily caused by lack of communication
on maternal and child health, coupled with
impediments to accessing medical infrastructures
and services.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
MIRA Channel is an integrated mobile phone
service to provide health communication and
information tools and to connect healthcare
services with disadvantaged and isolated
women using mobile phones. It is an interactive
discussion tool to communicate with semi-literate
women. MIRA others many value-added services,
such as decision-making stories and “serious
games” to raise awareness and encourage new
behaviours. The platform connects women to
public health clinics and generates data to assist
health authorities.
THE PROBLEM
In remote areas of India, poor health indicators
are primarily caused by lack of communication
on maternal and child health, coupled with
impediments to accessing medical infrastructures
and services.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
MIRA Channel is an integrated mobile phone
service to provide health communication and
information tools and to connect healthcare
services with disadvantaged and isolated
women using mobile phones. It is an interactive
discussion tool to communicate with semi-literate
women. MIRA others many value-added services,
such as decision-making stories and “serious
games” to raise awareness and encourage new
behaviours. The platform connects women to
public health clinics and generates data to assist
health authorities.
THE PROBLEM
In remote areas of India, poor health indicators
are primarily caused by lack of communication
on maternal and child health, coupled with
impediments to accessing medical infrastructures
and services.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
MIRA Channel is an integrated mobile phone
service to provide health communication and
information tools and to connect healthcare
services with disadvantaged and isolated
women using mobile phones. It is an interactive
discussion tool to communicate with semi-literate
women. MIRA others many value-added services,
such as decision-making stories and “serious
games” to raise awareness and encourage new
behaviours. The platform connects women to
public health clinics and generates data to assist
health authorities.
THE PROBLEM :
Epilepsy occurs predominantly in low and middle income countries, affecting ~1 to 2 percent of the global population or 60 million people. The number of people with epilepsy in lower income countries who access care is generally low due to multiple factors: a higher level of poverty among people with epilepsy, a dearth of specialized healthcare workers, stigma impacting care seeking behavior, limited access to health techologies, fewer antiepileptic drugs including medication "stock outs," and seizure related limits on transportation to receive care. It is also likely that unique, understudied risk factors for epilepsy exist in lower income settings, changing the epidemiology in these locations. These putative risk factors have not received full attention due to a lack of brain focused technologies to research their impact. Although access to EEG is a standard of care in high income countries to classify seizures and spell types, support the diagnosis of epilepsy, and help direct medication choice, it is often unavailable, inaccessible, and unaffordable in low income settings. Moreoever, many countries do not have a single practicing neurologist or have one per several million people. Availability tends to be centralized in large academic centers, and the cost of a traditional EEG machine usually exceeds 20,000 USD.
THE SOLUTION : The Smartphone Brain Scanner-2 (SBS2) is a multi-platform software application that combines off-the-shelf EEG caps with a smartphone or tablet, representing a fully portable, real-time EEG imaging system.
The software is open source, available under a free MIT license (https://github.com/SmartphoneBrainScanner).
The underlying technology extends C++ programming language (Qt) and is supported by desktop operating systems (Windows, OSX, Linux) and mobile devices (Android, BB10, partially iOS).
Compatibility of the app has been developed for two neuroheadsets, Emotiv and EasyCap. Each EasyCap headset can be purchased for approximately 100-150 USD and is reusable. All recordings are stored on the device and can be sent by a low file-size email to an epileptologist who is remote from the site of patient data collection.
The use of a diagnostic smartphone app for EEG goes beyond existing uses of mHealth for neurological disease which to date have been scant and focused on text messaging, reminders, electronic data entry, and automated diagnostic guidelines. The SBS2 allows the use of EEG in new populations in remote locations, building on the strengths of its mobile design. Only recently has computing power been capable of putting signal processing from a brain-computer interface on a smartphone. SBS2 thus obviates the need for electricity, paper tracings, and skilled EEG technicians for lead placement, existing barriers to EEG use in LMICs, and barriers otherwise beyond the capacity of the individual clinician to fix. Smartphone-based EEG also provides automatic data saving and high-volume file storage as well as real time EEG viewing for up to 12 hours. This allows diagnostic technologies to be brought to the patient rather than requiring the patient to travel to the diagnostic center. It allows home-based seizure detection and monitoring in persons with immobility. SBS2 could be used in intensivecare units, emergency departments, and remote, basic health units. EEG data files from SBS2 can be easily saved and emailed to a neurologist remotely.
THE PROBLEM
Ethiopia has one of the highest maternal mortality
rates in the world. Less than a third of women give
birth with the help of a trained professional.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
The Safe Delivery App is a mobile application that
provides midwives with direct and instant access
to clear clinical instructions on emergency obstetric
and neonatal care, through easy-to-understand,
animated instructional videos, simple graphics,
and medication lists. It can be used as a training
tool for both initial and continuing education,
even in the remotest areas.
THE PROBLEM : Road traffic injuries are an important and rapidly growing epidemic throughout the developing world. Bangladesh is one of the nations hardest hit by this epidemic, with a recent large-scale national survey estimating over 23,000 deaths and more than 3.4 million injuries on the nation’s roads every year. Despite the significant and growing need for these services, Bangladesh lacks any type of national pre-hospital emergency medical system to provide them.
THE SOLUTION : Thoughout the widespread and rapidly growing use of mobile technology in Bangladesh give a powerful tool for organizing volunteer emergency services,to provide guidance, education, and first aid supplies in particular.
THE PROBLEM : C-DAC, in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research, has developed Mobile-based Surveillance Quest using IT (MoSQuIT), to address the challenges malaria poses to the Indian health system, especially in remote rural areas. MoSQuIT automates and streamlines the manual malaria surveillance process that stakeholders like Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)/ Lab technican/ Medical Officer and Researcher perform in rural India. It uses the guidelines and policies that underpin the national surveillance programme for malaria and fills in execution gaps through technology. MoSQuIT was designed to integrate within the existing surveillance framework as set up by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) in India. It uses the guidelines and policies that underpin the national surveillance programme for malaria and fills in execution gaps through technology.
THE SOLUTION : MoSQuIT has added value to the public health system in the following ways:
• Improving information travel: paper-based records take a long time to travel between the various stakeholders involved with the surveillance system, the digital system reduces a lot of this time and provides instant visibility.
• Coordinated response: the efficacy of the NVBDCP malaria surveillance protocol relies on successful communication between various stakeholders, such as ASHA workers, lab technicians, medical officer etc.; MoSQuIT streamlines this process by providing visibility over the contribution each stakeholder is having towards the surveillance process.
• Detecting epidemic outbreaks: analytics on the system compare current levels of malaria incidence to historical data to identify outbreaks and trigger health system response.
• Strengthen supply chain: MoSQuIT allows for monitoring of stock levels, allowing supply to be targeted and entirely demand-driven
THE PROBLEM : There is a severe lack of safe blood in Sub-Saharan Africa, caused by a combination of weak voluntary donor recruitment strategies, testing and component production processes and information management. The implementation of BSIS at low resource blood centres both improves information management and facilitates the adoption of good practices in donor and donation management, in line with the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion (AfSBT) accreditation requirements and recommended international good practice. BSIS also ensures that only labelled blood units that have passed all good practice safety criteria can be issued to health facilities for transfusion.
THE SOLUTION :
BSIS is open source and doesn’t carry with it a costly annual license fee; high cost and vendor lock-in are a large reason why current proprietary systems are not used in low resource settings. BSIS is also designed to be fit-for-purpose for low resource settings and focuses on enabling blood services to follow basic good practice work/information flows. The BSSP implementation strategy also focuses on safe and sustainable implementation. Building local capacity to use, manage and maintain BSIS without extensive external support from service providers in the long term.
The AfyaData initiative, based on the One Health concept, is an application for managing animal-related epidemics. Through symptom documentation, GPS coordinates and photos sent, health personnel, livestock owners, veterinarians, and national park rangers receive information about the suspected disease and the procedure to follow. This operational research project is a real support for epidemic management including all field and decision-making actors.
Operation ASHA has developed a local, deep, low cost, last mile delivery system that is replicable worldwide. It serves 15.6 million people, living in over 5000 slums, villages and tribal areas across India and Cambodia with its own staff. Its model has also been replicated by third parties in India and seven other countries: Afghanistan, Tanzania, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, Dominican Republic and Cambodia. Operation ASHA’s CHWs raise awareness, scour the communities for symptomatics, ensure testing, link them to high quality medical practitioners and finally provide treatment and ensure adherence. Operation ASHA works in collaborations with private sector hospitals as well as governments/ public health departments, which provide medicines, diagnostics and physicians’ services mostly for free. CHWs are supported heavily with technology applications, including the world renowned eCompliance. Its first version was built with support from Microsoft Research. The partnership was tweeted by Bill Gates on Dec 7, 2012. The technology also produces accurate and reliable data, which is collated into an electronic medical record system and produces reports at the click of a button. In addition, Operation ASHA has developed applications for detection, management of lab results and accounting of user fee. Baxter, a multinational pharma company, Columbia University, USA and German Leprosy & TB Relief Association have taken licenses. Operation ASHA serves the poorest It currently covers five areas: Tuberculosis, HIV/ TB Co-infection, Haemophilia, Diabetes, Heart Diseases and Adolescent Health. Testing for blood sugar with glucometer is also provided.
The idea is to ultimately develop Operation ASHA into a comprehensive pipeline that can deliver all health and related services and products to the Bottom of the Pyramid market. In terms of number of patients served, Operation ASHA is a big TB control NGO in India. It achieves a good treatment success rate, at a low cost. Simultaneously, CHWs deliver many products like ORS, contraceptives, Iron and Calcium tablets, nutritional supplements, and non-perishable food. In the delivery process, Operation ASHA has generated employment for nearly 200 semi-literate disadvantaged youths. It has also trained 4000 village youths in Cambodia on detection, prevention and treatment of TB.
Operation ASHA has developed a local, deep, low cost, last mile delivery system that is replicable worldwide. It serves 15.6 million people, living in over 5000 slums, villages and tribal areas across India and Cambodia with its own staff. Its model has also been replicated by third parties in India and seven other countries: Afghanistan, Tanzania, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, Dominican Republic and Cambodia. Operation ASHA’s CHWs raise awareness, scour the communities for symptomatics, ensure testing, link them to high quality medical practitioners and finally provide treatment and ensure adherence. Operation ASHA works in collaborations with private sector hospitals as well as governments/ public health departments, which provide medicines, diagnostics and physicians’ services mostly for free. CHWs are supported heavily with technology applications, including the world renowned eCompliance. Its first version was built with support from Microsoft Research. The partnership was tweeted by Bill Gates on Dec 7, 2012. The technology also produces accurate and reliable data, which is collated into an electronic medical record system and produces reports at the click of a button. In addition, Operation ASHA has developed applications for detection, management of lab results and accounting of user fee. Baxter, a multinational pharma company, Columbia University, USA and German Leprosy & TB Relief Association have taken licenses. Operation ASHA serves the poorest It currently covers five areas: Tuberculosis, HIV/ TB Co-infection, Haemophilia, Diabetes, Heart Diseases and Adolescent Health. Testing for blood sugar with glucometer is also provided.
The idea is to ultimately develop Operation ASHA into a comprehensive pipeline that can deliver all health and related services and products to the Bottom of the Pyramid market. In terms of number of patients served, Operation ASHA is a big TB control NGO in India. It achieves a good treatment success rate, at a low cost. Simultaneously, CHWs deliver many products like ORS, contraceptives, Iron and Calcium tablets, nutritional supplements, and non-perishable food. In the delivery process, Operation ASHA has generated employment for nearly 200 semi-literate disadvantaged youths. It has also trained 4000 village youths in Cambodia on detection, prevention and treatment of TB.
THE pROBLEM
In India, 500,000 children under the age of five die
each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Khushi Baby was created to resolve the challenges
of managing vaccination of young children,
collecting data and raising community health
awareness. The patient receives a pendant
containing an NFC chip that stores health
information. This information can be accessed by
healthcare workers using a mobile application and
by health authorities via a dashboard. The pendants
are waterproof, do not require a battery, and cost
less than a dollar to produce. The device is wholly
designed to fit with the local context, as the black
cord used to hold the pendant is similar to that
of the necklaces that babies in this region of India
already regularly wear for protection against
the evil eye.
THE PROBLEM
There are established pre- and post-natal care
recommendations, but insucient means of
communication to convey this information,
which leads to delays in women consulting
healthcare services.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
GiftedMom is an SMS and voicemail platform that
sends notifications to women to remind them of
the date of their next pre-natal appointment or
their child’s immunisation, as well as educational
messages about pregnancy and post-natal
care. The service also gives women the means
to express their concerns and receive answers
directly from health professionals. In collaboration
with the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health,
more than 29,000 pregnant women and mothers
have been monitored in partnership with 28
healthcare facilities and more than 40 community
health workers.
THE PROBLEM
There are established pre- and post-natal care
recommendations, but insucient means of
communication to convey this information,
which leads to delays in women consulting
healthcare services.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
GiftedMom is an SMS and voicemail platform that
sends notifications to women to remind them of
the date of their next pre-natal appointment or
their child’s immunisation, as well as educational
messages about pregnancy and post-natal
care. The service also gives women the means
to express their concerns and receive answers
directly from health professionals. In collaboration
with the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health,
more than 29,000 pregnant women and mothers
have been monitored in partnership with 28
healthcare facilities and more than 40 community
health workers.
Fondation Pierre Fabre
Domaine d’En Doyse
Route de Saint Sulpice
81500 Lavaur
France
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