Expert Meeting for the United Nations/India/USA Pilot Project Telemedicine in the Reconstruction of Afghanistan 29-31 August 2006 Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences. Cochin, India Overview of UN Programme on Space Applications and Its Tele-Health Activities Alice Lee 1
Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) United Nations Programme on Space Applications (PSA) Space Technology Sustainable Applications Disaster management Natural Resources Mgmt Environmental Monitoring Tele-health, Tele-education Knowledge Based Space Sciences (Based Space Science) (Space Law) OOSA Enabling PSA Space Technologies Remote Sensing, Navigation, Communications, Earth Observation, & Meteorological Satellites Small Satellites 2
Programme on Space Applications Activity Summary A. Training for capacity-building in developing countries: - Workshops, training courses, expert meetings and symposiums In 2005, the Programme along with Member States and space agencies, conducted 9 activities in the form of workshops, training, Seminar, meeting and symposium In 2006, 10 activities are planned - Affiliated regional centres continue to provide long term postgraduate courses - Mid term and short term training courses Asia-Pacific Multilateral Cooperation in Space Technology and Applications (AP- MCSTA) training courses on space technologies - Fellowship programme UN/Italy Long-Term Fellowship Programme on Global navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Related Applications Five 12-month fellowships for Master Degree, began in January 2005 Co-sponsored by Politecnico di Torino, Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB), and Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale Galileo Ferraris (IEN), Turin, Italy 3
Programme on Space Applications Activity Summary (cont d) B. Disseminating and increasing the awareness of knowledge-based themes - Basic space science: Explore possible ways for sustainable development - Space Law: Build capacity, UN Treaties and Principles on Outer Space C. Providing technical advisory services and promoting regional cooperation - Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council: Survey on satellite broadband resources in the Asia-Pacific Region - Space Conference of the Americas D. Promoting the use of and access to space-based technology & information - International Charter Space and Major Disasters - Asia Regional Task Force on Risk Assessment for Natural Resources and Environment Protection Using Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies - Data sharing - Satellite-Aided Search and Rescue For Distress Situations - Global Navigation Satellite Systems - Satellite communications applications - Tele-health & tele-education 4
The UN Programme on Space Applications (PSA) Activities on Tele-health - July 2004, Conference on Tele-health and Satellites in Rabat, Morocco. - September 2005, UN/Argentina Workshop on Applications of Space Information and Technology to Health Issues. - December, 2005, UN/China Workshop on Tele-health. - Plan to organize 1-2 workshops/training courses each year. October 2004, OOSA joined the International Society for Telemedicine and ehealth (ISfTeH) as an Alliance Partnership with the Society. - Conducted a plenary session at the ISfTeH 2005 conference: Space- Based Technology Applications to e-health - Conducted a Poster Session at the ISfTeH 2005 conference to introduce Tele-health projects - Plan to conduct a Round Table Discussion at the ISfTeH 2006 conference, November, on behalf of Africa Interested in collaboration with local/regional/international organizations in implementing pilot projects 5
Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Task Force on Health Using Space Technologies Established on 23 September, 2005, in Cordoba, Argentina Objectives are to: Establish a network forum to share information, report status of projects, exchange views and needs, lobby for establishing government policy on tele-health implementation Identify common elements of satellite access protocol and interface requirements within region Collaborate on projects that can improve livelihood in the region. 6
Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Task Force Generate a regional alliance: Pan American Teleepidemiology Group - Propose the Gulich Institute to be a WHO collaborating center on space applications to human health - Expand the use of RS and GIS in the heath sector in the Americas - Collaborate in the PAHO initiative "SIGEPI on health related GIS mapping and spatial analysis applications in epidemiology and public health. - Preparing to offer a Master degree on Teleepidemiology for Latino-America, by the Gulich Institute of Advanced Space Studies, Argentina. 7
Status - Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Task Force (cont d) - Increase international cooperation - Encourage point to point initiatives among team members. Contributed 15 projects posters to the Poster Session, at the ISfTeH Conference in Luxembourg, April 2006 - Conduct a panel session in Columbia on Tele- Epidemiology, Sept 2006 - Planning a training course on telehealth, Mexico, may 2007 8
Tele-Health Development in Asia and the Pacific Region Organized a workshop on Tele-Health Development in Asia and the Pacific Region, China, December 2005 - Exchange information on the current status of telehealth practices in the Asian and Pacific region - Discuss issues, concerns and approaches in developing tele-health for the region - Stimulate the development of a plan of implementation floating hospital in Bangladesh 9
Tele-Health Development in Asia and the Pacific Region (cont d) Project I. Avian flu early warning methodology development using geospatial data & space technologies. - Objective: to develop a methodology that aims at providing early warning to the growth and spread of avian flu. - Approach: to use geospatial data and space technologies to analyze the landscape characteristics, environmental and biological data that could impact the growth and spread of the avian flu. - Team: China, Thailand, USA. Project II. Telehealth training - Objective: share training programs and provide training to the parties who have the need of learning. - Approach: The institutes that provide the non-profit training will determine training details such as subjects, length, location, cost, and make their own announcement. - Team: China India, S. Africa, Pakistan, USA 10
Tele-Health Development in Asia and the Pacific Region (cont d) Project III. Assessment on specifications for communication system network configurations for different applications of telehealth. - Objective: assess existing configurations of communication network systems and their detailed specs for different applications of telehealth. - Approach: use the assessment result to build guidelines for communication system design, installation, and service maintenance for different levels of services. - Team: China, India, Pakistan, Thailand Project IV. To perform a Need Assessment in all aspects that are needed for preparation of implementing a national tele-health program. - Objective: assess the potential of telemedicine services for my country in a wide range of health care purposes - Approach: use this assessment to understand the need in implementing a national tele-health program. 11
Tele-Health Development in Sub-Saharan Saharan Africa Organized UN/Zambia/ESA Regional Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite System Technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, June 2006, initiated a project Space Technology Application for Telehealth. - A few nations in this region have initiated planning for communications satellite based tele-health program. - Several nations have the capacity of performing tele-health via the approach of Landscape Epidemiology using GNSS technologies. - Therefore, this project is inclusive of the approaches and with a common goal of improving public health via space technologies. - Team: Nigeria, S. Africa, Zambia, USA - Coordinate with NEPAD, ITU, WHO UNOOSA co-organizes with WHO and NEPAD, a Round Table Discussion at the ISfTeH 2006 conference, November, Captown, benefit Africa 12
Afghanistan Tele-health Pilot Project Phase I United Nations/India/USA Pilot Project Telemedicine in the Reconstruction of Afghanistan Phase I: Training, 2005 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) provided training to selected Afghanistan physicians and IT expert in hospitals in India. 13
Afghanistan Tele-health Pilot Project Phase II Phase II: Planning for Implementation, 2006 - Apply the knowledge and skills of telemedicine gained at the Phase I Training: - Identify the hospital(s) and it coverage for implementing telemedicine - Describe the stepwise activities for initiating the implementation. - Describe the activities for the daily operation of telemedicine. - Perform a Needs Assessment for preparation of implementing a national tele-health program in 3 needs categories: - tele-health policy and requirements, - requirement and preparation for IT and satellite based technologies, - medical informatics. 14
Expert Meeting Objectives - Review the project activities; - Share expert views and experience; - Introduce current state of technologies and applications, both medical services and space technologies. - Discuss sustainable development for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries - Discuss follow-up actions International Medical Corps El Salam Hospital Afghan Medical Reference Library 15