SATELLIFE, the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC), Uganda Chartered HealthNet, and Makerere University Faculty of Medicine hosted a successful conference on "Handheld Computers in Africa: Exploring the Promise for the Health Sector" in Entebbe, Uganda on May 12-13, 2004.

Over 100 health and information technology professionals and policy makers including representatives from Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Zambia and the United States, attended the conference.

The conference explored the benefits, challenges, and opportunities that handheld technology presents for the health sector in low resource environments and featured plenary addresses, panel and group discussions, and presentations on the Uganda Health Information Network and other projects in the region involving handheld computers.

For further information contact Berhane Gebru: berhane@healthnet.org.

Presentations and Projects:

Harnessing the Power of IT for Health in Africa
Eng. Dr. F.F. Tusubira. Director

Directorate of Information and

Communication Technology Services

Makerere University, Uganda

Uganda Health Information Network (Panel Presentation)
Dr. Patrick Okello, Director

Uganda Health Information Network Project;

Fred Kakaire, Director

Uganda Chartered HealthNet

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Panelists:

Dr. Robert Mayanja

Rakai District Director of Health Services

Dr. Francis Abwaimo

Mbale District Director of Health Services

Julie Wiltshire

National Program Officer

Marie Stopes Uganda

Peikwen Cheng

WideRay

CA/USA

Improving the Quality of Safe Blood in Uganda Using PDAs
Fredrick Kanobe

Uganda Red-Cross Society

Uganda

Development of a Powerful Palm™ Pilot Questionnaire Development Program
Merrick Zwarenstein, Clive Seebregts, Paul Young, Susan Scheck, Lara Fairall, Catherine Mathews, and Chris Seebregts
Presented by Chris Seebregts

Medical Research Council

South Africa

Toward the Perfect Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) with Handheld Computers
Christian Kyony

Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies,

South Africa

Service Availability Mapping (SAM) in Uganda: A collaboration Effort between WHO and Ministry of Health, Uganda
Johan Lemarchand

Public Health Mapping Group,

World Health Organization

Geneva, Switzerland

EpiHandy, a new tool for collection and handling of data using handheld computer: field testing and experiences from Uganda
Jørn Klungsøyr

Centre for International Health

Bergen, Norway

Using New Technology to Improve Productivity: The Role of PDAs in Facilitating Inspection and Monitoring
Arin Speed

Mangement Sciences for Health

Center for Pharmaceutical Management

Arlington, Virginia, USA