"Medinfo2001 was the 10th triennial conference of IMIA (the International Medical Informatics Association). Medinfo is the major international health and medical informatics event, and provides the opportunity to obtain formal and informal updates on activities related to research, practice and education in this field. This year`s conference attracted approximately 1 300 delegates from 63 countries, and more than 270 papers and 40 workshops were presented in 12 parallel sessions over three days.
South African participation was limited to about 20 people, and included representatives from provincial and national health departments, the MRC (other delegates were Dr JA Louw (Group Executive, Informatics and Knowledge Management) and Colleen Fraser (GIS Unit, Durban)), the Health Information System Project (HISP) based at the University of the Western Cape, and the private sector. The high cost of the conference itself (minimum GBP430 for early bird registration) and of staying in London are likely to have contributed to the limited number of SA participants.
IMIA Working Group 9 [WG9](chaired by Dr Nora Olivieri of Argentina) organised several events, and there were a number of activities related to Health Informatics for development. During the WG9 workshop and working group meeting, presenters from multiple countries had the opportunity to present information on their activities. WG9 members present indicated their willingness to support the efforts to form a fully-fledged IMIA Africa region, including linguistic support (eg Portuguese translation by Brazilian colleagues to facilitate communication with colleagues in Mocambique and Angola).
Drs Leon Geffen and Sedick Isaacs and Lyn Hanmer presented a workshop entitled "Developing world access to information - entrenching poverty or enhancing knowledge?" on behalf of the Western Cape regional group of SAHIA, in which we aimed to address issues related to access to information for healthcare providers.
The participants highlighted the need to link access to information to other development activities to ensure a holistic approach, noted that multiple solutions were required (eg electronic information would not be helpful in environments with limited or no access to the required technology) and agreed that it was necessary to co-ordinate with existing activities. The importance of communication between colleagues in developing areas was highlighted.
While some participants were pessimistic about the effect of improved access to information on healthcare services on the ground, others (especially those from developing countries) underlined the need for improved information support for healthcare workers as a mechanism for improving their effectiveness. The presentation and notes on the discussion will be posted on the IMIA WG9 discussion list, to facilitate future communication between participants, and links with current and new initiatives aiming for universal access to health information.
Overall, participation in the WG9 and related activities was higher than in previous Medinfo conferences (approximately 120 according to the report of the WG9 chairperson, Dr Nora Oliveri of Argentina). Participants came from a wide range of developed and developing countries, and all are committed to co-operating with each other, and with others around the world, to promote the appropriate use of information and communication technologies to promote development.
HELINA2002
The discussions related to the 4th International Conference on Health Informatics in Africa, HELINA2002, were of particular significance for SA. This conference was planned to be held in Cairo, Egypt, in March 2002, in parallel with the spring meeting of the IMIA Board. Due to the short time before the planned conference date, the possibility of delaying HELINA2002 to September 2002 was suggested. Confirmation of the date for HELINA2002 is awaited. This conference will be strongly supported by the IMIA president as part of his commitment to the development of HI in Africa.
SAHIA, the SA Health Informatics Association, is planning a national conference, HISA2002, to be held next year. In order to accommodate the first planned date for HELINA2002, HISA2002 was planned for October 2002. In the light of the potential for a revised date for HELINA, a decision will have to be made about whether to shift HISA2002. A joint meeting of TC215 working groups will take place in Gauteng from 15 to 19 April 2002. Workshops and other activities related to health informatics standards are being planned for 15 and 19 April, with the working group meetings on 16, 17 and 18 April. SAHIA activities could be planned to coincide with these events."
The CSSA is establishing a MedSig in Gauteng and other provinces, depending on interest shown.
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