VillageReach’s Post

What does a reboot of health in Africa look like? Jean Philbert NSENGIMANA (Phil) and Ann Stake reflect on the significant investment in digital health in Sub-Saharan Africa. While some successes have been observed, only a few digital interventions have achieved widespread adoption, and even fewer have demonstrated measurable improvements in population health outcomes. They outline some steps to ensure successful digital health initiatives: 1) Integration of tech into existing health systems, 2) Increased investment in digital health initiatives, 3) Collaboration between stakeholders, and 4) Development of strong governmental policies. #DigitalHealth #Africa #Reboot #ReachHealth

Not only shall we reboot #digitalhealth in Africa but the whole #pandemicpreparedness plan should be strengthen and no one should be left behind. #UN #SDGs #accesstocare

Vibrant advocacy for an Africa-led #digitalhealth future by Anne Stake & Jean Philbert NSENGIMANA (Phil). Highlighting that despite hundreds of millions of dollars poured into digital health projects in sub-Saharan #Africa, very few solutions have scaled with wide adoption and translated into measurable population health outcomes, the authors call for radical change in the way digital health challenges are addressed:    #sustainability: focus on acquiring capabilities and not tools only #sovereignty : establish a road map for digital health sovereignty enabling governments and public health stakeholders to manage their digital health infrastructures. #patientcentricity : a person-centric digital health system is a prerequisit to break silos and get a chance to improve population health    #accountability : solutions should be designed to deliver measurable value to health systems and go far beyond data collection. #data4good HOLICARE Diagnostics

🌍 Great to participate in the UK-Africa Health Summit earlier this week… lots of people eager to share and learn from different countries and fields, and put into practice innovations to have a bigger impact in global health together - really what these kind of events should be about! Couple of key themes... ⚡ No health system has a monopoly of knowledge - too right, there’s no perfect health system, we need to be humble and curious to learn from every country. I’m always especially interested in innovations bringing care closer to communities, worth checking out the mobile labs used to combat Ebola in Uganda highlighted by Dr Diana Atwine - https://lnkd.in/eFuD6JKR ⚡ There’s 'No health without a workforce' (see below from Jim Campbell at the World Health Organization)... The global health workforce shortage is a global problem, it’s counter productive to try to just sort out your own country, nobody wins. Mutual brain gain vs brain drain must be the goal. Properly valuing and paying health workers (large majority female) in every community is obviously essential, but we must also address this problem through widely sharing best-in-class tech, skills and practices... Tech enhances the capabilities of the health workers we have, it makes their roles better and more rewarding, and means we can shift tasks to a broader range of community health workers in even the remotest communities… Many thanks to Ben Simms Louise McGrath Richard Skone James and everyone at Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) involved in organising. Neha J Tanna M.D. PHILIPPE JACON Dr Emmanuel Agogo FRCGP HonMFPH Onica Nonhlanhla Makwakwa Louisa Poole FCA Chris Barker Spirit Health Foundation #UHC #HealthForAll #UKAfricaHealthSummit

To achieve #universalhealthcoverage by 2030, dynamic collaborations with diverse digital health partners and stakeholders is essential. Read the perspectives of our key partners from Kenya 🇰🇪, Zanzibar 🇹🇿, and Nepal 🇳🇵 who have collaborated with Medic to enhance the Community Health Toolkit. https://bit.ly/41e20c6 #UHCDay2023 #UHCDay

Rural communities in Africa face significant barriers in accessing quality healthcare, resulting in poor health outcomes and increased mortality rates. Challenges 1. Geographical Barriers 2. Shortage of Healthcare Workers 3. Limited Resources 4. Cultural and Language Barriers Solutions 1. Telemedicine and Digital Health 2. Community Health Worker (CHW) Programs 3. Mobile Health Clinics 4. Public-Private Partnerships 5. Cultural Competency Training Improving access to healthcare in rural Africa requires a multifaceted approach, addressing geographical, human resource, and resource challenges. By leveraging technology, community-based initiatives, and partnerships, we can bridge the healthcare gap and achieve UHC for rural communities. #allofhealth #healthtechinnovation #HealthDataSharing

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF AFRICAN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS: Bridging the Digital Divide In the heart of Africa's remote communities, Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the unsung heroes of healthcare delivery. They're often the first and only lifeline to vital medical services. But here's the catch: the digital divide threatens to limit their potential. CHWs play a pivotal role in maternal and child health, disease prevention, and overall community well-being. They're trusted members of their communities, speaking local languages and understanding cultural nuances. Yet, many are hindered by a lack of access to digital tools and resources that could amplify their impact. Imagine this: CHWs armed with digital literacy. They can access the latest health guidelines, collect real-time data, and engage in telemedicine consultations with healthcare professionals. They become champions of community health, maintaining electronic health records and using social media to educate and raise awareness. The bridge to a healthier Africa lies in empowering these heroes with digital literacy and training. It's more than technology; it's about saving lives and building resilient healthcare systems. Let's invest in Africa's healthcare future. Empower CHWs to lead the way toward a healthier tomorrow. Together, we can bridge the healthcare gap. 🏥💻📱 #HealthcareHeroes #DigitalHealth #AfricaHealthcare #CommunityHealthWorkers #healthcareaccessibility

We want to see #SafeSupportedHealthWorkers. The global shortage of health workers is a threat to reaching UHC. WHO predicts a shortage of at least 10 million health workers by 2030, with Africa bearing nearly 50% of the shortage. Everyone, everywhere deserves to have access to quality, responsive health care. Learn about how VillageReach is working towards UHC in our 2030 Strategy: https://bit.ly/42k8qai #WHWWeek #WorldHealthDay

Past investments in healthcare have significantly improved health outcomes in Africa over the past few decades. However, the persistent high incidence and mortality rates of both physical and mental health issues reveal that there is still much work to be done. Whole person care during care transitions is an innovative strategy aimed at reducing hospital readmissions and improving care affordability. By utilizing a robust analytics platform, we can stratify high-risk patients and provide the necessary data for action-driven improvements in care delivery and quality outcomes. We are excited to introduce our panelist, Sylvia Okwarah, Senior Psychologist at HealthX Africa. Sylvia will discuss the strategies we employ to reshape the care delivery system and foster a transition towards affordable and accessible comprehensive, whole-person care. Join us in exploring these transformative approaches to healthcare. Together, we can make a difference. Register here to secure your ticket https://lnkd.in/d9Y37ksu or email us here [email protected] #HealthcareInnovation #WholePersonCare #MentalHealth #PhysicalHealth #CareTransitions #AfricaHealth #DataDrivenCare #HealthOutcomes #HospitalReadmissions #QualityCare #HealthX #ComprehensiveCare #HealthcareStrategy #Mentalhealthawareness #YIDPmentalhealthsummit

Last week I wrote a simple but yet a powerful story about why Africa’s health must include young tech talent to create a digital healthcare workforce and achieving universal health coverage https://lnkd.in/dfK-awt7