Preparations are under way for the World IT Forum, WITFOR 2005, to be held in Gaborone, Botswana, from 31 August to 2 September.
The global ICT forum aims to accelerate development for the world`s poorer nations. It will be hosted by the Government of Botswana, in partnership with the International Federation for Information Processing.
"To accelerate development in developing countries, experts in different fields must talk the same language and work together towards a common goal," says Professor Dipak Khakhar, chairman of the steering committee for WITFOR 2005.
"Politicians make promises to different constituents, researchers focus on their own research and venture capitalists invest in specific areas of expertise.
"The value of the WITFOR process lies in bringing together policy-makers, researchers, academics, the private ICT sector as well as end-users, and enabling them to communicate."
Khakhar was speaking following the recent preparatory meeting of the eight WITFOR commissions in Botswana. These commissions each work in defined areas, such as health, education, environment and agriculture. They are addressing issues critical to developing countries, such as the application of ICT in fighting HIV/AIDS and poverty.
A highlight of the process so far has been the funding acquired from the European Union (EU) for the Health Commission`s applying ICT in the healthcare sector project. The EU is also a forum sponsor.
"The HIV/AIDS pandemic, together with the generally poor health status and health systems in Africa, has emphasised the need for developing appropriate ICT for managing, monitoring and delivering health services," says Khakhar.
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