The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and French telecoms operator Orange have announced an alliance to develop innovations in mobile health (m-health) across Africa.
Speaking at the Global M-health Forum recently, Dr Ariel Pablos-M'endez - USAID's assistant administrator for global health - said the decreasing cost of mobile phones is pivotal in extending the reach of innovative efforts.
According to Orange, the first phase of the programme aims to boost health systems and will leverage the expertise, technology and local resources of the telecoms company and USAID to improve quality of care and ensure health services are readily accessible to the public at large.
Orange said in a statement: "Future services will use integrated m-health platforms and Orange mobile networks to communicate alerts and share resources about family planning and maternal health. Healthcare workers will be able to use the technology to share medical expertise, collaborate with specialists regardless of location, and improve patient care".
The company aims to leverage its global footprint to extend its m-health reach. Orange has mobile and fixed networks in 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Remote monitoring
One of the m-health solutions will provide medical practitioners with medical information, allowing them to monitor a mother's pregnancy from a distance. The companies aim to make an impact in rural communities that do not have easy access to healthcare or a variety of transport means.
Thierry Zylberberg, director of Orange Healthcare said remote patient monitoring will enable healthcare workers to make "better-informed decisions and facilitate quality care for all citizens".
Orange said the partnership aims to create a framework for easily replicating mobile services in a numerous African countries. "In West Africa, USAID and Orange are starting to develop a regional platform with a menu of mobile applications that ministries of health, donors and NGOs could use for consumer education, health worker tools, mobile money, and data collection".
The telecoms company added it will harness its expertise in interoperability and scalability to ensure such platforms adhere to regulatory and structural organisations.
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