Initial Project Information: HEAL SA


	Updated: Jun 3, 97
HEAL SA

Joint Conference on Telematics for Health EU-South Africa 1996

[ Coordinator(s) ] [ Participants ] [ Project Objectives, ... ] [ Other Characteristics ]

Project Nr:	SU 1108 HC	Group: VII	Project Duration: months
Key words:
Summary:	Joint EU-South Africa diffusion and user type conference on telematics for health and for Disabled and Elderly persons in South Africa in Apr 1996
Mission:
URL:

Coordinator(s)

Mr. Worrall

Club de Bruxelles

avenue Adolphe Lacomble 52
B-1030 Bruxelles
Belgium tel: 32 2 743 15 30
fax: 32 2 733 50 50
club.bxl@arcadis.be

url:

Participants:

Name of Institution	City+Postal Code	Country	Region
n/a

Project Objectives, Summary Description and Anticipated Results

A joint European Union/South Africa diffusion conference on Telematics for Health was held in South Africa between 16 and 18 May 1996, near Johannesburg. The conference examined the manner in which "state of the art" telematics (telecommunication and information technologies) can provide solutions to the complex health problems of South Africa and of the region and improve the quality of life of disabled and elderly people. The key to rational health service provision at district, provincial and national levels is ready access to reliable data. Thus the creation of a national health information system is one of the highest priorities of the South African Department of Health. The socio-economic integration and independent living of disabled and elderly persons through the use of appropriate technology is also an important objective. The conference, with an attendance of more than 200 highly qualified participants from numerous European and African countries, provided a vehicle for a productive exchange of experiences between Europe and South Africa on matters ranging from standardised and integrated electronic patient health care records through to harmonisation of data in regional and national networks and enabling technologies.

The objectives have been also to provide an opportunity for participants to disseminate, exhibit, discuss and present their health telematics products and services as well as their telematics solutions for the integration of disabled and elderly people to users in Southern Africa. As such it concentrated on the range of telemedicine applications which can be deployed by health planners, health managers, clinical service providers and health and rehabilitation professionals in otherwise inaccessible areas. Participants from Europe, Africa and South Africa had the occasion to inform health planners and decision makers, identify market potential, exploit commercial opportunities and find potential industrial collaborators or research partners.

The conference promoted the dissemination of telematics expertise and technology through the health sector and disabled and elderly sector in South Africa. This gave added impetus to a key sector which the European Union supports through its "European Programme for Reconstruction and Development in South Africa" and in its policies on regional cooperation in Southern Africa.

Other Characteristics of the Project:

Users involved
Health planners, health managers, clinical service providers, epidemiologists and health professionals, rehabilitation technology professionals and users of technology for the disabled and elderly in otherwise inaccessible areas of South Africa and the Southern African region.

Technologies and/or approach used
The health telematics projects and projects for technology for disabled and elderly people that have demonstrated at the conference had been selected from the "3rd Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development" and from the TIDE Initiative (1) of the European Commission.

Expected benefits for the citizen
Introduction of the latest and, at the same time, affordable technologies will greatly improve the quality of health provision especially in inaccessible areas by means of telemedicine and assistive technologies and hence will assist in the creation of the national health information system.

Expected benefits for the users of the application
Users could see what is currently being developed in Europe and were able to discuss with European developers how this can be adapted to the South African context in order to boost the efficiency of health care and rehabilitation provision and the reconstruction of the health care system and improve the quality of life of disabled and elderly people.

Expected benefits for the European Industries
The projects that demonstrated and the European companies sponsoring the event had an ideal opportunity to interact with a growing market in Southern Africa.

Contribution to EU-policies

Promotion of the dissemination of expertise in the fields of telematics and assistive technologies.
The EPRD(2) supports the RDP(3) which has put great emphasis of the health care sector and in particular the creation of a national health information system.
Regional integration and cooperation in SADC(4).

Validation Sites

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