Another Conference We Mostly Missed! – Archbishop Tutu Keynotes E-Health!

It seems the Commonwealth had a Ministerial level conference on e-Health a few days ago!

Here are a few reports.

Maginley embraces e-Health opportunities

Thursday May 22 2008

Health Minister John Maginley had the opportunity to chair the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, held under the theme “E-Health: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Maginley, according to a press release, was instrumental in setting the agenda of the meeting by working assiduously with the Commonwealth Secretariat over the last year. In his opening remarks, he noted the definition of E-Health for the meeting as a term for all healthcare practices which are supported by electronic processes and communication.

The newly appointed Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Kamalesh Sharma and Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization addressed the over forty Ministers of the Health from Commonwealth countries present at the meeting along with their delegations.

With the theme of the meeting being e-Health, seven countries from both developed and developing nations illustrated varying e-Health initiatives in their countries including challenges and opportunities.

The Right Reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered the keynote address highlighting the significance of the meeting and the decision to address E-Health as an issue. In introducing Archbishop Tutu, Minister Maginley noted the tremendous achievements and the major contributions of the Anglican church leader.

Archbishop Tutu emphasized the benefits of E-health which include distance learning via the internet to increase the health workforce and using e-Health to decrease inequities in health and ensure access to adequate health care services to disadvantaged populations such as the poor and those living in rural communities.

More here:

http://www.antiguasun.com/paper/?as=view&sun=325035096205212008&an=414345099405212008&ac=Local

and

E-health is C'wealth's new agenda

7 May 2008, 0115 hrs IST,RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL,TNN

LONDON: The 53-nation Commonwealth launches world's first international e-health initiative across countries and continents on Sunday in an attempt to harness its members' evidentially extraordinary appetite for hi-tech with health-friendly governance.

Ernest Massiah, head of health at the London-headquartered Commonwealth secretariat, which organises an annual health ministers' meeting in Geneva, said the e-health focus could be a revolution in the making, potentially offering fast-track development opportunities to poor people spread across the Commonwealth.

India, he said, could provide crucial hands-on knowledge because "health workers in some parts (of India) are even now, sending text messages to the central authorities with key epidemiological data".

The Commonwealth's new ‘big idea' is all about how to translate "the amazing diffusion of new technology, such as the mobile phone" into the field of health, where most member-countries significantly lag behind the developed western world.

E-health is a leap of faith for the Commonwealth, which has normally focused its annual health meetings on safer subjects such as last year's non-communicable diseases.

More here:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/E-health_is_Cwealths_new_agenda/articleshow/3047564.cms

And

Liow To Attend World Health Assembly In Geneva, Switzerland From Tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR, MAY 17 (BERNAMA) -- Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai will be attending the 61st World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body for the World Health Organisation to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from Sunday till May 22.

Liow will be delivering a speech at the annual gathering which will discuss issues relating to health including pendemic influenza preparedness, poliomyelitis, climate change and human health, and counterfeit medical products.

…..

It will focus on a range of e-health applications, the ethical, legal and infrastructural challenges faced when introducing e-health.

More here:

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=333591

and lastly:

Hon. Minister invites Commonwealth countries to a meeting in Climate Change and Health in Sri Lanka

Monday, 19 May 2008

Sri Lankan delegation headed by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition attended Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting held in Geneva on 18^th may 2008. The Hon Minister of Health of the Western Province, Mr. Prasanna Ranatunga, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon and Dr. Nihal Jayathileka, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Healthcare, were the other members of the delegation.

This meeting had been organized by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Kamlesh Sharma and Health Ministers representing nearly fifty Commonwealth countries attended this annual forum. The main theme of discussion in this meeting was the place of E-health in health systems development and health care delivery.Hon. Minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government of Sri Lanka on E health, to improve the quality and equity of health care. Sri Lankan Government has embarked upon an innovative pilot programme in tele-radiology and tele-pathology to seek a solution to the brain drain of their qualified specialized doctors in certain fields, such as radiology and pathology.

He stressed the need for providing continuing education for doctors, nurses and other health personals through E-Health programmes. He further stressed that the development of health information systems and management information systems in hospitals are vital to sustainable development of health systems. In developing countries expanding E Health service has been affected due lack of bandwidth infrastructure around the country, especially in the rural areas where it could be most useful. In Sri Lanka, the government is currently addressing the limitation through the development of the Telecommunication Infrastructure which will be accessible to the health sector.

More here:

http://www.lankamission.org/content/view/266/1/

A report of the conference is to be found here:

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/179335/190508chmm.htm

A copy of Archbishop Tutu’s remarks is here:

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/179302/160508tutuoped.htm

Presentations given at the meeting are here:

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/doclist/177370/179342/presentations/

The outcome of the meeting is found here:

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/document/179485/2008_commonwealth_health_ministers_meeting__chmm.htm

The key action suggested is as follows

“Ministers requested the Commonwealth Secretariat, bearing in mind its ongoing mandates and importance of coherence with other international efforts, to pursue:

High-level policy dialogues involving the health and information technology sectors, the private sector, health professionals and civil society on the opportunities and challenges of e-health and requested the Secretariat to facilitate this.

• Explore setting up e-health pilot projects in all regions of the Commonwealth.
• Public-private partnerships in e-health.
• Sharing of expertise and technical assistance between Commonwealth countries, both North-South and South-South.
• Leveraging additional resources to support the further development of its work on e-health and development.
• Ministers agreed on ‘Health and Climate Change’ as the theme for CHMM 2009.

Commonwealth Secretariat

Geneva

18 May 2008”

Australia seems to have be missing in action at the meeting – sorry about that! It did provide a written report on e-Health in Australia trumpeting the success of the Eastern Goldfields Project and NEHTA!

The report is here:

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/178273/FileName/HMM_G__08_6-EHealthSurvey2.pdf

Read while feeling very strong of stomach! The positivity of the spin is a wonder to behold!

David.