Connecting for Health Research in Africa International Workshop on African Research & Networking

1. Connecting for Health Research in AfricaInternational Workshop on African Research & Networking Dr Joan Dzenowagis World Health Organization CERN, Geneva, September 2005

2. Outline • World Health Organization's African Region • Information & communication technologies (ICT) for health programs • ICT in support of WHO programs

3. 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

4. Example: Causes of death WHO African Region, stratum E Source: World health report, 2004

5. Effects of globalization: Epidemics affect travel and trade Source: WHO 2005

6. 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

7. Individual users Organizational users Sectoral absorption Pervasiveness Internet services Organizational infrastructure Geographic dispersion Telecommunications Connectivity infrastructure Model of ICT in health systems Characteristics of use

8. Spending on health, ICT and education, Kenya (% GDP, 2002) 10 GDP: 12 224 740 000 Public 7.5 Private Total % GDP 5 2.5 0 Health ICT Education Sources: WHO 2005, ITU 2004, UNDP 2004

9. 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

10. 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 low-income countries • Addition of agriculture (FAO) & environment (UNEP) to partnership, collections

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 40 offices connected Target: all countries by early 2006

15. 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

16. 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

17. Joan Dzenowagis • dzenowagisj@who.int • With thanks to WHO colleagues • G. Kernen, D. Metais, S. Wayling