World Health Day: Allm contributes to a fairer, healthier world
The WHO’s motto for this year’s World Health Day is “Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone”, highlighting the urgent need to eliminate health inequities worldwide. The motto emphasizes WHO’s principle that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”
The Corona pandemic indeed amplified health inequities and economic gaps, but has also shown how important digital solutions are, especially with regard to the exchange of information, data and expertise in the health sector, especially in resource-poor and rural regions, where evenly distributed health care cannot be guaranteed.
We are proud and honored to support the sustainable improvement of healthcare standards in Africa and help healthcare professionals in their daily work. The different projects in which Join is used reflect the flexible use of the messenger app very well and show how important it is that medical IT solutions always take into account the requirements and needs of healthcare professionals.
The projects below are good examples how Allm contributes to a fairer, healthier world.
Telediabetic Retinopathy Network (South Africa)
South Africa struggles with a significant diabetic population. To tackle this issue in a rural and resource-scarce country, Join supports local healthcare professionals to communicate up and down the referral chain of the eye care industry. One initiative is the implementation of a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program (DRS) where Optometrist Henry G. Alexander and his team utilize a centralized non-mydriatic fundus camera to take 2D images of the retina during medical visits in rural regions. A technician on site takes retina images and uploads them to Join where the optometrist on-call can grade the images from anywhere, provide real-time feedback and arrange further treatment.
Wheels for Life (Kenya)
In rural areas, and especially during the Corona pandemic, it is extremely difficult for pregnant women to get to the hospital in time. Together with local partners, Join supports the Wheels for Life project. The aim is to support pregnant women to get a fast and uncomplicated transport to the nearest hospital. Join ensures communication with the maternity team ahead of time and enables the sharing of important information, even before the patient arrives at the hospital.
Teleoncology Network (Kenya + 7 countries)
One of the biggest challenges in oncology is that the treatment requires many different specialties and precise communication. In order to exchange knowledge and expertise, healthcare providers originating from eight African countries – Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, have joined forces under the guidance of the International Cancer Institute (ICI) to create an oncology network that provides quality care for patients in their communities. They will use Join to bring all the different specialists together and to ensure that all healthcare providers have the same information at the same time. In addition, the communication solution is also used to hold regular virtual consultation meetings in a secure IT environment. Under the project, around 500 medical professionals such as oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians will be equipped with Join.
The projects mentioned above are just one example of how Allm supports healthcare professionals and enhances patient care worldwide. Allm’s solutions are used in more than 20 countries around the globe.