Monday, November 09, 2015

5th Accra Tech Salon to discuss the prospects of GIS mapping and health in Ghana



Globally, the enormous potential of Geographic Information System (GIS) to benefit the health care industry is just now beginning to be realized. To find out exactly how much of this potential can be laced into by Ghana’s health sector, Penplusbytes’ New Media Hub is hosting the 5th Accra Technology Salon on Thursday, 12th November, 2015 to discuss the prospects of GIS mapping application in Health. RSVP Now to join (http://ow.ly/UppVC).

Tapping into the expertise of Katharine Gage, Advisor to the Executive Director of the U.S Global Development Lab (USAID) and Mr. Foster Mensah, Executive Director of the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS) as lead discussants, the 2 hour morning session will draw participation from professionals within the health and eHealth sector, technology and development experts, Civil Societies working within the health sector, students, individuals and stakeholders with interest in advancing healthcare delivery in Ghana.

Presently, public and private sector players worldwide are devising innovative ways to harnessing the data integration and spatial visualization power of GIS into their projects with many of these companies and organizations spanning the health care spectrum - from public health departments and public health policy and research organizations to hospitals, medical centers, and health insurance organizations. 

Most developing countries like Ghana still manually generate demographic health data and this exposes it to human-generated errors. Beyond offsetting this challenge, GIS plays a critical role in the ‘healthcare geographics’ of  determining where and when to intervene, improving the quality of care, increasing accessibility of service, finding more cost-effective delivery modes, and preserving patient confidentiality while satisfying the needs of the research community for data accessibility.

According to Kwami Ahiabenu, II, Executive Director of Penplusbytes, the world is evolving at a technological pace that requires Ghana and the rest of the developing world to double up or get stuck behind in time. He says “Technology means everything nowadays and so does our health. We therefore want to create that opportunity to get key stakeholders to start exploring ways we can map our way to better health.”

GIS mapping applications offer spatial analysis prowess with endless possibilities that include an ability to prioritize spending, site service locations, and identify vulnerable populations the result of which is better outcomes for patients, stakeholders, and the public.

Customary to Accra tech salons, this event will provide a non-inhibitive platform for frank and thought provoking dialogue on key issues such as the Benefits of GIS Mapping in Health Applications, How GIS can be used extensively in the private and public health sectors, GIS Mapping and its influence on the National Development Plan among other topics.



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Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in three key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and driving oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.

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