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How PDAs Are Saving Lives In Africa

Posted by kdawson on from the port-it-to-the-olpc dept.

Mark Goldberg writes "UN Dispatch, the United Nations affairs blog I write, just posted an item that may interest this community. Joel Selanikio, a medical doctor and technologist, writes to us from Zambia to relay how PDA devices are quietly revolutionizing public health services in sub-Saharan Africa. Selanikio runs a non-profit called DataDyne.org that trains local health officials to use PDAs equipped with an open source software tool to track outbreaks, coordinate vaccination efforts, and perform other vital public health tasks. So far, says Selanikio, the pilot program in Zambia has been a resounding success.

2 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Unfortunate naming by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thank you for informing us of this. We at DataDyne had no idea, and we do not wish to be compared to or invite comparison to the evil corporation from "Perfect Dark." To this end we have officially changed our name, and we shall begin large-scale rebranding efforts right away.

    Sincerely,
    The Umbrella Corporation

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  2. Re:ICT4D, handheld solutions by jselani · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hi Josef,

    I'm the developer of EpiSurveyor. While we've had excellent results in the field with PDAs for almost ten years now, working with the American Red Cross, UNICEF, WHO, and many other organizations, we're now shifting from PDAs (ie, unconnected pocket computers) to cell phones (ie, connected pocket computers). Cell phones, as you may know, are rapidly spreading across the developing world: just about every health worker we come across already has one. I believe that before the end of the year we'll have a version of EpiSurveyor that runs on J2ME platforms. Keep an eye out for updates at www.datadyne.org

    Best,

    Joel Selanikio