The state of medical informatics in Africa

Introduction
Despite the fact that Africa is rich in natural resources and has the potential to be a continent that is developed and better able to take care of its people, it has been ridden with disease, underdevelopment and a significant inequality gap amongst the population of the continent.(Kibily Demba Samake). This is the unfortunate economic state of a continent that rather remains with potential that has not been utilized to its fullest.

Literature review
Even though there are challenges that Africa faces, there has been reports of significant diffusion of the internet, however this does not change the fact that most people in Africa are computer illiterate and do not have access to computers let alone able to read(Kibily Demba Samake) and so comes the challenge with building interoperable medical informatics solutions in amongst the different countries. Africa’s current socioeconomic state has been a major challenge for electronic medical solutions. This is due to problems such as lack of electricity in rural areas and the inability of those people to access internet connected computers let alone the hospitals themselves(Kibily Demba Samake)
Then comes the health divide another challenge to African governments, this itself is caused by the different challenges that each country faces but one common factor is that many African people reside in rural areas which lack basic needs like electricity, proper health care services even lack water and sometimes limited to most of them(Kibily Demba Samake). It is advised that for proper success of implementing e-Medical solutions around Africa it has to be done while considering the given socioeconomic challenges that face Africa because success is dependent on them.(Kibily Demba Samake).
Taking care of the socioeconomic situation of Africa will better enable a wider acceptance of any technological solution to medical care in Africa, there is no point in implementing systems that most people will not be able to use efficiently, this includes patients and doctors. What Africa needs is a future strategy to introduce, basic health education and computer literacy to its people, the patients and medical professionals (Kibily Demba Samake). The most important of these is education. Focusing on educating people is paramount to success of any future plan of implementing an e-Medical solution.
ICT has advanced in many parts of Africa despite the socioeconomic challenges and especial telecommunications. Cell phones are mostly used in both urban and rural areas more that other technologies(Kibily Demba Samake) And African country governments have given their support to the advancement of ICT this leverages the potential of allowing the advancement of e-Medical solutions in Africa.
An example of an African country that has advanced technological development but still faces major hurdles preventing efficient e-Medical solutions is South Africa.” South Africa is country of 48 million people, 46 % of whom live in rural areas. It is divided into 9 Provinces and there are 11 official languages. It is rich in natural resources and has one of the largest and most developed economies in Africa, with a GDP of US$218 billion. Despite this, it has an official unemployment rate of 23%, approximately 50% of its people live below the poverty datum line and 10.7% live on less than US$1 (purchasing power parity) per day”
(Maurice Mars)

South Africa has a multiple range of health care information systems that have little standardisation and interoperability and these are the important futures that should be in any e-medical solution(Maurice Mars). Like most countries South Africa face socioeconomic challenges that have to do with literacy of both patients and medical practitioners. Main barriers that limit the progress of implementing e-Medical solutions are population illiteracy,
Expensive internet usage and little health material available on the internet.(Maurice Mars)

Conclusion

As seen African governments face the same challenges in their environmental context when it comes to Medical informatics and these have hindered progress. The most prevailing are:
Illiteracy, high broadband prices, expensive internet usage, social acceptance, policies to support these systems and proper standards and interoperability amongst these systems.

It is important to note that African governments support and are willing to see the advancement of Medical informatics in Africa but the challenges face will have to be tackled dynamically. While investment goes to technology advancement, it is clear that people will have to be prepared as well thus increasing their capacity to accept these solutions and change their mindset about them.(Maurice Mars)

All spheres of society have to play a role in this in order for proper success. This means developing a framework that accommodates current professionals and future professionals in the medical field so that they are taught computer literacy and other technologies that are used in medical informatics; that educates the patients about basic health care and computer education, not only that Africa still needs to find solutions in bringing cheaper broadband prices and take care of socioeconomic needs like electricity while developing medical informatics in at the same time.

The challenge is big for Africa there still is a lot to be done and there is a great success potential. Medical informatics in Africa is slowly but surely progressing and will soon be at a place where the ultimate objectives are fulfilled.

References
Kibily Demba Samake, E. J. O., Victor W. A. Mbarika,. eHealth in Africa: A Vision for Healthier African.
Maurice Mars, C. S. Country Case Study for e-Health South Africa.