Qualcomm

According to a national survey released by Kenya’s Ministry of Health, an estimated 392,000 adults with HIV in Kenya need antiretroviral therapy (ART). The survey shows that 8.7 percent of Kenyan women between the ages of 15-64 are infected with HIV with a slightly lower rate of incidence in men and the rate is increasing.

The good news is that more people with HIV have begun to treat their illness. A follow-up study from the Ministry of Health showed that as of the end of June 2008, 54 percent of people in need of ART have committed to receive it. While not a cure, ART helps patients with HIV fight off infectious diseases, thus improving and potentially prolonging their life. With the treatment, however, a 95 percent rate of adherence must be achieved for the drugs to be effective. The danger of inconsistent adherence is the HIV will mutate and become resistant to the treatment, thus rendering ART ineffective. Moreover, the resistance to ART can become permanent.

With this knowledge, Wireless Reach has teamed with partners to develop a project that creates a more efficient process in the supply management of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) using 3G wireless technology. The initial project is focused on selected ART sites under the supervision of the Provincial Medical Office of Nairobi, within the Ministry of Medical Services, which receive their ARVs exclusively from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA).

As part of the project, participating ART sites will be equipped with computers, software and support equipment for wireless connectivity on Telkom Kenya’s 3G CDMA EV-DO Rev. A network. The software developed in the project is open source and designed around the manual reporting system for managing ARVs throughout Kenya, providing a smoother transition to the new digital system. Through the EV-DO Rev. A network, these newly converted reports can reach KEMSA quickly and efficiently, providing a more accurate inventory of ARVs in the medical offices.

The project provides a simple, practical solution to a real problem that can be greatly improved using wireless technology. With the immediate increased efficiency and more accurate reporting, pharmacists will be able to concentrate on more in-depth tracking of ART adherence and patient care.

Furthermore, the project has long-term potential by addressing two common challenges that exist when implementing new technology – sustainability and scale. The project partners developed a software program and communication system that is locally sustainable and can be extended to manage all pharmaceuticals. The hope is that, if successfully implemented, the system will be scaled and adopted by more health centers within Kenya and eventually by other countries in Africa.

PARTNERS

• Axesstel, Inc.
• Communications Commission of Kenya
• Provincial Medical Office of Nairobi
• RTI International
• Telkom Kenya

More than 7 million elderly people live in Spain. The elderly represent a rapidly growing community in the country. Wireless Reach and its project partners are participating in a pilot called “3G for All Generations,” which aims to provide 100 elderly people with solutions to ensure their social inclusion and independent living using 3G wireless technologies.

In partnership with Fundación Vodafone España (Vodafone Spain Foundation) and Cruz Roja Española (CRE, Spanish Red Cross), the goal of the pilot is to empower the elderly to feel included, connected and active, so they avoid the digital divide. With this program, elderly people have been provided with the tools that will enable them to stay independent longer and continue to live in their homes, improving their quality of life. The solution consists of a videoconferencing system which enables functions such as establishing video communication with a CRE Contact Center, making video calls to the mobile phone of a relative or friend, and downloading multimedia content, which encourages the participants to perform daily exercises that help maintain mobility. The necessary equipment includes a television, an analog fixed phone, a 3G wireless broadband Internet connection using Vodafone’s HSDPA/HSUPA data cards, a modem, and a 3G mobile phone with videoconferencing capability for the elder’s family.

Target beneficiaries are people over 65, mainly living alone. Up to 100 elderly and 200 relatives are participating in the pilot. Eventually, the CRE intends to make the video conferencing program available to the public.

PARTNERS

• Fundación Vodafone España
• Cruz Roja Española

A small health care clinic, located in a rural village named Coya a few hours from Machu Picchu, serves the indigenous population of the “Sacred Valley” of the Incas. Teams of doctors fly in from the United States to volunteer their time and serve residents who would otherwise have no access to health care. It is not uncommon for as many as 500 patients to receive medical attention each week. The clinic, which has been in operation since 2005, has serviced more than 19,000 patients from the area and doctors have conducted more than 600 surgeries. Prior to Qualcomm's involvement, the clinic had no connectivity of any kind. Although fixed line communications had been attempted, the harsh mountainous terrain made wireline connectivity extremely unreliable. During the past two years, Wireless Reach has provided funding to this small but effective medical clinic for laptops, cell phones, related IT equipment and connectivity fees. Now, the clinic and visiting physicians can communicate with colleagues and medical specialists from all over the world in real time.

PARTNERS

• Kausay Wasi Health Clinic
• FACES Foundation
• Capitol City Medical Teams

The Andaman Sea in the province of Phang Nga in Southern Thailand is characterized by beautiful limestone rock formations jutting out of the sea, some 1,000 feet high. From these formations, the Thai people have built floating villages, creating the habitable islands of Koh Panyee and Koh Yao Yai.

Qualcomm, along with its partners: CAT Telecom Public Company Limited; the National Telecommunications Commission of Thailand (NTC); the Ministry of Public Health; the Office of the Non-Formal Education Commission (ONFEC); the Ministry of Education; and Axesstel Inc., launched a Wireless Reach project on the islands to provide EV-DO high-speed wireless services to benefit the medical and educational needs of the villages.

Two remote health clinics are now connected to the mainland hospital with telemedicine equipment and high-speed access to the Internet. Health care providers have access to image and illumination systems including: ear, nose and throat scopes; ophthalmoscopes; dermascopes; general examination cameras; digital electronic stethoscopes; electrocardiogram and digital spirometers, along with desktop computers, notebooks and wireless connectivity equipment to communicate medical information between the remote health clinics and the main hospital in Phang Nga. The telemedicine devices go beyond regular diagnostic equipment, and combine network computing and specialized application software to use CAT Telecom's EV-DO network to transmit the data from the clinics, in easy to understand graphs and images, to the doctors located at the mainland hospital.

The education initiative involves two libraries that are part of the ONFEC's mobile learning program, providing high-speed Internet access to the people of Phang Nga. The program established TeleCenters in the Tub Pud and Kura Buri public libraries. Qualcomm provided desktop computers and Axesstel provided its D800 EV-DO modems. Four laptop computers equipped with data cards using CAT Telecom's EV-DO network also were provided.

PARTNERS

• Axesstel Inc.
• CAT Telecom Public Company Limited
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Public Health
• National Telecommunications Commission
• Office of the Non-Formal Education Commission