Sahel Project: Telemedicine services for sub-Saharan Africa

Indra has put its experience in the field of health at the service of the 'Sahel' project (Satellite African eHealth validation), which aims to support the implementation and extension of viable telemedicine services in Africa through the integrated use of ICT and satellite technology.

'Sahel' is an initiative managed from the European Space Agency (THAT) and co-financed by the European Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa, in which Indra Brings its expertise to telemedicine, with services such as digital medical records, Telediagnosis and training of health professionals.

Thanks to this project, it has been possible to define and implement a pilot that connects remote areas of sub-Saharan African countries with hospitals and medical centers of excellence..

This is the first step in setting up a comprehensive telehealth system (eHealth) including telemedicine services, Epidemiological control and continuous training of health personnel, as basic pillars on which other future services will be articulated.

A consortium of companies and entities, led by EADS HOUSE, has been in charge of carrying out this initiative in which Indra has participated by implementing its Telemed telemedicine platform and its Health Network health information system.

SES ASTRA has collaborated in the consortium (Luxembourg) in the definition of the service and provision of fixed broadband access via satellite; the Université Numérique Francophone des Sciences de la Santé et du Sport (UNF3S), that provides the medical content of e-learning in French; and NGO African Medican Research Foundation (AMREF), that provides eLearning English content.

The experience and technologies used will be put at the service of AMREF itself, a Kenya-based centre of excellence in health services development in Africa; and Le Kinkeliba, an NGO working in the area of health in eastern Senegal for more than fifteen years.

Indra Health Network and Telemed

Indra's collaboration in 'Sahel' is based on the implementation of its health management system Health Network and Telemed, A modular and adaptable management platform on which different services can be articulated.

This system allows telediagnosis as part of health services, offering real-time assistance to staff for the resolution of clinical pictures with the help of specialists.

To this is added the digital medical record service, that facilitates many of the tasks associated with the health care provided and the follow-up of the patient, as health programmes tailored to priority needs in sub-Saharan Africa can also be designed (Maternal Health, childish).

This service favors the generation of epidemiological reports, disease monitoring and the creation of internal use statistics, to facilitate the monitoring and control of the most devastating pathologies for the population of these regions (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV).

The platform incorporates an e-Learning service for the continuous training of health professionals in rural environments, with courses of the most demanded specialties, webinars, Etc. provided by UMVF and AMREF.

Pilots in Senegal and Kenya

The 'Sahel' pilot has been implemented in three primary and secondary care centers in Kenya and Senegal, connecting them with reference centers in both countries: Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, and the African Telemedicine Centre in Dakar, respectively.

Thanks to the 'Sahel' platform, Doctors in rural centres and more remote areas can directly request help from specialists in referral centres. The eLearning service improves the preparation of medical personnel in these areas.

The results of the 'Sahel' project represent a qualitative step in the progressive adoption of telemedicine services in sub-Saharan Africa, which is expected to continue in a new phase.

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