Seychelles hosts e-health conference

Health ministers and their counterparts in charged of information and communication technology (ICT) from thirteen East, Central and Southern African countries are meeting in Seychelles to discuss the promotion of e-health on the continent.

The meeting is aimed at promoting the use of information technology in the continent’s health care system to help achieve the millennium goals and to attain the most with the limited financial resources.



“Our nations must forge ahead to develop our systems and processes if we are to ensure a better, improved and sustainable quality of life for our people, with health developments taking centre stage,” Vice-President Joseph Belmont said in the conference’s opening address.

The three day conference is an opportunity for the continent’s health and ICT expert to rethink how best to effect change and improve health service provision for the benefit of both consumers and providers using ICT.

“E-health holds the promise of a more evidence-based, result-oriented and effective health care system,” said Belmont.

The conference organizers said the event will allow governments to improve services for patients and communities, increase access to services and improve the training of health workers, with enormous impact on these processes.

Editors' note: e-health is a relatively recent term for health care practice which is supported by electronic processes and communication. The term is inconsistently used: some would argue it is interchangeable with health care informatics and a sub set of health informatics, while others use it in the narrower sense of health care practice using the Internet. The term can encompass a range of services that are at the edge of medicine/health care and information technology.

The 12th Highway Africa Conference in pictures

With SA's top vlogger on YouTube Khaya Dlanga.



With Highway Africa's Future Journalists Project (FJP) Co-ordinator, Moagisi Lethlaku.

Nature Seychelles wins Highway Africa award

Nature Seychelles, the leading environmental organisation in the country is a winner at this year’s Highway Africa Digital Journalism Award in South Africa.

Speaking in Grahamstown, where he collected the award, Nature Seychelles’ CEO Dr Nirmal Shah said their achievement is proof that local non-governmental organisations (NGO) should go beyond the limitation of small island states.

“The World Wide Web, gives us the prospect to reach the world and for the world to reach us. Get up and use it,” says Shah.

Nature Seychelles was nominated for spearheading environmental conservation through the internet within the Seychelles and across the Western Indian Ocean shelf, using its website http://www.natureseychelles.org.

The organisation came top in the non-profit category, ahead of African Woman and Child Feature Service, a Nairobi-based media organisation.

The award also recognises the NGO’s effort in encouraging other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to embrace new media technologies for environmental conservation. In addition, Nature Seychelles won for its success in using the youth’s skills and creativity to spread the message of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the environment on the fragile islands ecosystems within Seychelles.

“The recognition is proof that we are doing a fantastic work in Seychelles. It’s good news for all local conservationists that not everything is doom and gloom, but that we are actually saving birds and involving the children in our effort.”

The Award ceremony is part of the annual Highway Africa conference, the largest annual gathering of African journalists in the world. This rendezvous focuses on debates about journalism and new media.