Digital technology is changing the way health care practitioners do their job everywhere, even in the most remote areas of the world. Through telemedicine, for example, it means nurses and community health workers can be reached by phone and coached, decentralizing areas of expertise.
Dr. Ann Aerts, head of the Novartis Foundation, discussed some of the details of projects the foundation is leading in an interview with Devex at the Wired for Impact dialogue event in Accra, Ghana, last month. She outlined the need to engage partners in other sectors for their technological know-how.
“As telemedicine is an example of one area where we don’t have the expertise in-house, on digital, we call upon other partners like telecommunications companies or experts, and telemedicine experts, to work on bringing this to scale,” said Aerts.
As well as highlighting successes, she also mentioned some lessons learned through pilot projects and obstacles in scaling, citing local ownership from the outset and a focus on beneficiary needs as crucial.
“You have to build all your interventions around the reality of the patients,” Aerts said.
Watch the video above for more on common standards for digital health, the Novartis Foundation’s work with the Broadband Commission and the importance of infrastructure.
Wired for Impact is an online conversation with Novartis Foundation and Devex to explore how to integrate digital health into global development in a way that is scalable and sustainable, and improves the overall quality of health care delivery to build essential connections between patients, health facilities, health providers and policymakers. Tag #Wired4Impact and @Devex to join the conversation.
About the author
Helen Morgan
Helen Morgan is a journalist and editor, primarily focusing on climate change, migration, humanitarian crises, and human rights. She was previously an Associate Editor at Devex, where she managed the op-eds section and led a project covering climate resilience in small island developing states. Helen was also features editor at World Politics Review, and editor and writer at the environmental think tank WRI, as well as editing for The New Humanitarian. She lives and works in Barcelona, Spain.