Wednesday, November 20African Digital Business Magazine

Tag: medicine

Medicine, South Africa News

MMH & Partners Africa develops three-tiered response plan to eradicate & prevent continued spread of mpox virus in SA

The executive leadership team of MMH & Partners Africa can officially confirm that the local healthcare consultancy has developed a three-tiered response plan to eradicate and prevent the continued spread of the mpox virus in South Africa. The response plan emphasizes the urgent need for a consolidated effort between healthcare leaders, private sector stakeholders, and public entities to address this public health crisis effectively. The plan highlights three key pillars: Diagnostics (Detection), Therapeutics (Treatment), and Vaccines (Prevention). Each strategic pillar aims to emphasise the action steps that will be required to effectively prevent the needless loss of life as a result of the mpox outbreak across different regions in Africa. Pillar 1: Upscale Local Laboratory Capacit...
Main, Medicine

Navigating healthcare uncertainty across Africa

While Africa continues to face challenges around healthcare accessibility and cost, there are glimmers of hope on the digital horizon, explains Rodney Taylor, MD at Guardian Eye   Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to become home to one in three people by the end of the century with a rapidly growing population and some impressive economic growth statistics. Currently, the region’s population is over one billion with more people living on a wage less than $2 per day than anywhere else in the world. With higher mortality rates for women and children, lack of access to infrastructure and medication, and the high cost of medication, Africa needs smart interventions to overcome the barriers to healthcare access and adoption. Technology has immense potential to help countries across the continent...
African News

Continuing the Fight Against TB

by Snorre Westgaard Humana People to People has played a vital role in the fight against TB over the last few decades. With grants from Governments and international partners complemented with funding from members of Humana People to People, we have made good strides. The thousands of passionate people on the ground can rightly feel proud of the unwavering and often selfless personal contribution. But unfortunately, the fight is not over. Over the last few years, virulent new drug-resistant strains have emerged, and cases have now risen for the second year in a row. As we recognise this year’s World TB Day on 24th March, we must use the occasion to become more committed than ever to ending this terrible disease.  But how do we do so?  We know that the best way for the world to eradicate...
Medicine

3 Things to Consider When Opening a Medical Practice in Africa

People living in the African continent have traditionally had limited access to modern resources, including quality medical care. This has led dozens of talented medical professionals to uproot and open their very own medical practice in the heart of Africa. While this is a noble pursuit, relocating to an entirely new continent can be a logistical nightmare without proper preparation. If you are considering following suit and opening a medical practice in Africa, you must get your affairs in order first. To help you get your practice up and running sooner, medical professionals like those at ThriveMD have created this list of three things you must consider before making your big move.   1. Develop a Comprehensive Plan As with any other new venture, you should prepare for your relocati...
Medicine

Quality and Patient Care takes centre stage at Africa Health Conference

Upwards of 5000 health professionals and 200 international and regional companies have registered for this year’s Africa Health Conference, which got underway today (Monday). The largest health conference in Africa, this online event  brings Africa’s healthcare industry together to discuss and explore innovative new thinking and solutions around Africa’s healthcare challenges. Now in its 10th year, the event includes several multi-specialty conferences with CPD accreditation that provide valuable education and the latest updates in the medical field, as well as an opportunity for vibrant, highly targeted industry networking. The event also provides a platform for healthcare professionals and decision-makers to do business, exchange ideas and learn about the latest product advancements f...
Medicine, South Africa News, Tech

Tech Tools Could Streamline SA’s Vaccine Rollout

Did you know that over three billion messages related to COVID-19 have been sent by governments, non-profits and international organisations to citizens via official WhatsApp chatbots[i]? The South African government was one of the first to harness the power of the platform to share correct, up-to-date COVID-19 information from the National Department of Health, but Kyle Oosthuizen (@KyleOosthuizen), Chief Operating Officer at Blue Robot, the leading provider of socially powered messaging solutions, believes that it – and other tech tools - could be utilised for far more, especially now that vaccines are being opened up to younger generations. He says that while the WhatsApp chatbot is slightly more convenient than government’s COVID-19 resource and news portal, it isn’t adding any new va...
Medicine, South Africa News

The Future of Work in Healthcare: five insights on how technology can help realise health equity

How can new digital ways of working in the healthcare sector improve outcomes for patients to increase global health equity in the COVID-19 era and beyond? And do we have reason to be optimistic? These were the questions tackled by a panel of globally recognised health-tech experts in a recent webinar for the African healthcare community. Hosted by BroadReach Group CEO Chris LeGrand, an internationally recognised leader in public health management, the webinar was joined by panelists Dr John Sargent, the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Social Entrepreneur of the Year, health technology innovator and co-founder of BroadReach, Dr Andrew Kambugu, Executive Director at the Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University in Uganda and Rochelle Mountany, a senior manager and health industry ad...
Medicine

Remote Medical International Launches RMI Access™ Telemedicine and Case Management For Industrial Environment Across the United States

Remote Medical International (RMI), a global leader in workplace health and safety services for Fortune 100 corporations and government services prime contractors, announced the launch of two new services RMI Access™ Telemedicine and Case Management to address health and safety challenges found in demanding industrial environments. These new services provide direct anytime, anywhere access to licensed medical providers trained in industrial injury management in all 50 states. They are ideal for construction, film/TV, manufacturing, oil and gas, renewables, and other industries with worksites in remote locations. “The pandemic demonstrated that telemedicine is now an essential part of an overall health and safety program for industrial businesses throughout the United States,” said Wayne W...
South Africa. How Designated Service Providers Help In Making Medical Aid More Affordable
Medicine, South Africa News

South Africa. How Designated Service Providers Help In Making Medical Aid More Affordable

With healthcare inflation continually on the increase, medical schemes must find ways to keep contributions as affordable as possible for their members while still ensuring that they receive quality of care. One of these ways is through negotiation with groups of hospitals, doctors and pharmacies for better tariffs in return for directing members their way. These groups then become the scheme’s Designated Service Providers (DSP). The Health Funders Association explains the ins and outs of DSPs and why they are important to medical schemes and their members: Medical schemes are not-for-profit organizations which provide a mechanism to assist medical scheme members in funding their healthcare providers for medical care rendered.  Medical schemes are similar to trust funds or stokvels, whe...
Medicine, South Africa News

New study on the causes of Cerebral Palsy may have far-reaching impact on medico-legal outcomes

A new paper on Cerebral Palsy, published in the South African Medical Journal, challenges commonly held views on the subject and suggests that the causes of this tragic condition may be far more complex and multi-faceted. Commonly held assumptions that CP arises as a direct result of preventable adverse events during childbirth inform the current paradigm within South African medico-legal cases, in which the focus is almost exclusively on events during childbirth (intrapartum events). Among the paper’s findings are that intrapartum trauma may constitute the final link in a complex chain of pathophysiological processes that lead to brain injury and ultimately CP. In many cases this causal pathway could depend on (among other things) genetic factors, as well as adverse circumstances and even...