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TECHNOLOGY MEETS HEALTH The use of digital information and communication technologies in health-related services is accelerating across Africa Writer: Jack Salter
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ince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth usage has surged, as providers and consumers alike seek ways in which to safely access and deliver healthcare in a climate of limited travel and in-person interaction. Telehealth, the provision of healthcare remotely by means of telecommunications technology, has proven to be a safe, efficient means of patient care during the ongoing public health emergency, minimising exposure to COVID-19 in the likes of hospital queues and waiting rooms. Sub-Saharan Africa, a region already burdened by disease and a shortage of healthcare workers prior to the pandemic, has experienced a 14 | Africa Outlook issue 94
telehealth boom in recent years, as evidenced by an increase in the use of digital health solutions and interventions. In light of this, the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet has even dubbed sub-Saharan Africa as the new breeding ground for global digital healthcare. The region has become an emerging arena for telehealth innovations, aimed at strengthening both patient management as well as the surveillance and prevention of diseases. Take diabetes, for example. Through telehealth, diabetics can use a mobile phone or other device, such as a tablet or computer, to upload
TELEHEALTH GOALS The goals of telehealth include the following: • Making healthcare accessible to patients living in rural or remote areas. • Improving the availability and convenience of healthcare services for those limited in terms of mobility, time or modes of transport. • Providing access to medical experts. • Bettering the communication and coordination of care among healthcare teams and patients. • Supporting the selfmanagement of healthcare.
food logs or blood sugar readings to be electronically reviewed by a nurse, download apps to assist with counting carbohydrates or estimating insulin doses, and get email or text reminders for flu shots.
