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Handhelds for health : SATELLIFE’S experiences in Africa and Asia

SATELLIFE
July 2005

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This report describes the SATELLIFE experience in implementing handheld computer projects to support health-care providers and institutions in a dozen countries in Asia and Africa. It captures SATELLIFE's experience and lessons learned as a 16-year veteran of using ICTs for health and an early adopter of handheld computers in low-resource environments. It also provide some pointers to other organisations that may benefit from their knowledge and experience, to optimize their own use of ICT in general or handhelds in particular

The other side of the river : cyberspace comes to the Amazon

RÊGO, Fausto
June 2005

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This report describes the 'Saúde e Alegria' (Health and Happiness) project (http://www.saudeealegria.org.br/ ) developed by RITS (Red de Información para el Tercer Sector), a member of APC in Brazil, with the support of the Avina Foundation and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas. It shows the impact of the project on the community, including a case where the internet provided access to snake bite information after a local girl was bitten

The social implications of free software

NORONHA, Frederick
May 2005

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This article focuses on the prevalence and utilisation of free software in South Asia. The article discusses the effectiveness and merits of introduction of free / open source software in less-affluent countries, and how they contribute to business and education

Communities of practice and networks : reviewing two perspectives on social learning

CUMMINGS, Sarah
VAN ZEE, Arin
May 2005

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This article examines the similarities between the concepts of 'community of practice' and 'networking for learning'. This article examines the common elements, and discusses the approaches, the characteristics, theoretical background and importance for development of each model. Next, similarities based on conceptions of social learning are explored. Finally, it is argued that communities of practice and networks for learning are part of the same continuum with varying degrees of formality, ranging from informal communities of practice to highly formal networks for learning. This article provides a valuable, relatively accessible introduction to the ideas of "networking" and "community of practice", discusses how they have evolved and explores how they can be useful to the development sector

The 'Most Significant Change' (MSC) technique : a guide to its use

DAVIES, Rick
DART, Jess
April 2005

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This publication is an introduction to the 'Most Significant Change' (MSC) approach to monitoring and evaluation. MSC is a participatory technique of monitoring without indicators. It asks users to collect "significant change" stories from the field level and to select and filter these through a panel of stakeholders or staff. It gives an overview of the "story" approach, and illustrates how to implement the MSC technique in ten steps. Chapter five looks in detail at the place of MSC in a monitoring and evaluation framework. The guide also includes a comparison with other approaches, a historical overview a of its development and outlines possible next steps and future innovations for the approach

The contributions of ICTs to pro-poor growth

BATCHELOR, Simon
SCOTT, Nigel
TAYLOR, Nigel
March 2005

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A background paper prepared for the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction. It provides a useful overview of definitions of ICT, pro-poor growth thinking and impacts on poverty

Themed sessions on ICTs for disaster relief

WORLD SUMMIT FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
February 2005

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This webpage provides background information on a special themed meeting on the use of information and communication technologies for disaster relief. It includes links to relevant international conventions, useful documents and organisations working in this area

What is e-health (3) : a systematic review of published definitions

OH, Hans
RIZO, Carlos
ENKIN, Murray
JADAD, Alejandro
February 2005

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While recognising the impossibility of finding a universally acceptable, universally applicable formal definition of e-health, the authors of this article believe that a clearer understanding of the term could be achieved by reviewing the range of proposed meanings. In this paper, they systematically search the literature for definitions which have been published to date, in order to determine the contexts or settings in which the term 'e-health' has been used

What is e-health (4) : a scoping exercise to map the field

PAGLIARI, Claudia 
SLOAN, David 
GREGOR, Peter
et al
February 2005

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Lack of consensus on the meaning of e-health has led to uncertainty among academics, policymakers, providers and consumers. This project was commissioned in light of the rising profile of the topic on the international policy agenda and the emerging UK National Programme for Information Technology (now called Connecting for Health) and related developments in the UK National Health Service. It examined multiple databases of abstracts to identify published definitions of the concept

Financing ICTs for development : efforts of DAC members. Review of recent trends of ODA and its contribution

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE (DAC). OECD.
2005

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This report provides policy-oriented analysis of donor support for information and communication technologies for development, with particular attention to recent trends in bilateral ODA commitments for ICT infrastructure as well as other ICT assistance. This analysis is illustrated with an abundance of statistical charts, highlights and annexes. The study furthermore seeks to analyse the rationale of the donors and other stakeholders to withdraw from the ICT infrastructure support in the 1990s and shift to integrating ICT components into development assistance projects and programmes. New forms of multi-donor partnerships are appearing not only as a joint financing mechanism but also as a platform for exchange of experiences and learning among donor institutions

Good practice paper on ICTs for economic growth and poverty reduction

BATCHELOR, Simon
SCOTT, Nigel
et al
2005

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This report aims to give an overview of what DAC members currently know about how information and communication technology (ICT) use in developing economies can stimulate economic growth and poverty reduction. It draws attention to the cross-cutting applications of ICTs, to their role as tools, not goals, and links their use to development co-operation

Chennai statement on up-scaling pro-poor ICT policies and practices

ARUNACHALAM, Subbiah
et al
January 2005

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The Chennai Statement is intended to serve as an input into the on-going global debate on the role of ICTs for development, particularly in view of the poverty reduction oriented agenda for the implementation of the WSIS Principles and Action Plan in the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Direct line to the doctor

2005

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In a joint project known as T@lemed, European and Latin American scientists in Colombia and Brazil are testing telemedicine services in practice. Going by the name of TOPCARE, the service also enables patients suffering from chronic ailments in Europe to benefit from an online link to the doctor

T@lemed : a telehealth case study project based on ultrasound images

DELAZARI BINOTTO, Alécio Pedro
SACHPAZIDIS, Ilias
SOARES TORRES, Márcio
et al
2005

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The growth of wired and wireless Internet (including communication via satellite) in Brazil and the recent advance of image compression methods allows rapid tele-consultation based on medical images. One of the most challenging problems in telemedicine is the real-time tele-consultation in case of emergency. In this brief paper, the ongoing T@lemed Project in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul is described and preliminary results from the first month of operation are presented

Bwindi gets tele-centre

TENYWA, Gerald
2005

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Conservation through Public Health (CTPH) has built a telecentre in a bid to empower communities around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to improve health and livelihoods. This brief article describes the centre and its facilities

Information and communication technologies and the effects of globalization : twenty-first century digital slavery for developing countries -- myth or reality?

OGUNSOLA, L A
2005

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This paper examines the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) revolution and the concept of globalization as they effect developing countries. The wide gap in availability and use of ICTs across the world and the influences ICTs exert on globalization at the expense of developing countries are carefully examined and suggestions and necessary policies are offered for developing countries to leap-frog the industrialization stage and transform their economies into high value-added information economies that can compete with the advanced countries on the global market. This is why it is important for Africa, in general, and Nigeria, in particular, to be aware of the implications, prepare to avoid the most telling consequences and prepare to meet its challenges

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