Gadgets for good: How computer researchers can help save lives in poor countries

The widening economic gap between countries is paralleled by disparities in health outcomes. A stark example is that the life expectancy from birth is estimated to be 46 years in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to 78 years in industrialized countries. Worse still, the expected life span in many poor countries has been dropping, largely due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, there seems to be growing commitment in the global community to address today’s public health challenges. Computer technology has the potential to play an important role in the efforts to improve healthcare in poor settings. The useful application areas includes electronic medical record systems, decision support, healthcare education, telemedicine, data gathering, and a wide range of communication systems. In this talk, I will review what I have learned while getting a masters in international health and discuss several ongoing and possible applications of computer technology in settings with severe resource limitations.