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e-Health

 

health researcher

With an acute shortage of health care professionals in many countries, limited resources and high-profile international efforts to address diseases such as malaria and HIV, the e-health agenda is now a top priority. E-Health is a key tool to address the health related Millennium Development Goals as well as the eighth goal – developing a global partnership for development. The Commonwealth Secretariat is, therefore, exploring opportunities of introducing technologies to improve access to health, strengthen management information systems and train health personnel.

Our work in this area focuses on:

  • Providing technical input such as developing tools for gathering data on the e-Health status in member countries; providing templates which could be used by any of the Commonwealth member countries to develop their e-Health policies and strategies, facilitating discussions, developing the agenda and promoting the exchange of information between IT and Health Ministers in member states. (The first dialogue we organised was held between the The East, Central, and Southern African Health Community and the Southern African Development Community in October 2008. At this meeting, Ministers commented on their country’s needs, priorities, plans and opportunities for establishing new partnerships.)
  • Developing a generic policy and strategic framework for e-Health and a review of existing e-Health policies and strategic frameworks. This means that the Health Section will provide templates which could be used by any of the Commonwealth member countries to develop their policies and strategies.
  • Addressing the status of e-health in Commonwealth countries by conducting a review. This study will follow up on surveys conducted by us in 2007 and incorporate the findings from Ministries with responsibility for IT. The studies will identify the gaps and the needs in e-Health development in member countries which will help the Secretariat to tailor its e-Health activities to address those gaps and needs.
  • Communicating the strengths of current policies and strategies, good practices and the status of e-health by developing and disseminating publications.
  • We are developing policy briefs and updates on our e-Health activities for dissemination.

Download:

  • e-Health Initiatives - PDF