Rural Healthcare Delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa: An ICT-Driven Approach

Access to quality healthcare is a major problem in Sub-Saharan Africa with a doctor-to-patient ratio as high as 1:50,000, which is far above the recommended ratio by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is 1:600. This has been aggravated by the lack of access to critical infrastructures such as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of healthcare information systems and informatics 2020-07, Vol.15 (3), p.1-21
Main Authors: Faruk, Nasir, Surajudeen-Bakinde, N.T, Abdulkarim, Abubakar, Oloyede, Abdulkarim Ayopo, Olawoyin, Lukman, Bello, Olayiwola W, Popoola, Segun I, Edoh, Thierry O.C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Critical infrastructure
Electronic health records
Health care
Health care facilities
Health facilities
Information systems
Medical informatics
Medical records
Online health care information services
Public health
Telemedicine
Waivers
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Summary:Access to quality healthcare is a major problem in Sub-Saharan Africa with a doctor-to-patient ratio as high as 1:50,000, which is far above the recommended ratio by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is 1:600. This has been aggravated by the lack of access to critical infrastructures such as the health care facilities, roads, electricity, and many other factors. Even if these infrastructures are provided, the number of medical practitioners to cater for the growing population of these countries is not sufficient. In this article, how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to drive a sustainable health care delivery system through the introduction and promotion of Virtual Clinics and various health information systems such as mobile health and electronic health record systems into the healthcare industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is presented. Furthermore, the article suggests ways of attaining successful implementation of telemedicine applications /services and remote health care facilities in Africa.
ISSN:1555-3396
1555-340X
DOI:10.4018/IJHISI.2020070101