HOUSTON — From December 7 through December 11, representatives from around the world will join together at the mHealth Summit to discuss innovations in global health. More specifically, the discussion will concern the role of mobile technology in public health initiatives.
Rapid globalization increases communication and travel between countries. While new ideas and cultures come with travel, health threats also accompany travelers. With this globalization, the world has a greater need for global health initiatives. Rather than creating stronger state borders, countries are finding a need to share information and strengthen global health policy. After all, what may affect one country can easily affect another.
Public health problems such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, high maternal and child mortality rates disproportionately affect impoverished populations. This results in dual consequences for people in poverty. Limited access to healthcare continues to create higher levels of health problems and problems with health often limit economic opportunities, which trap people into the cycle of poverty.
According to the World Health Organization, mHealth is “the use of mobile and wireless technologies” to combat global health issues. The WHO has increasingly placed focus on mHealth with the recent increase in mobile and wireless technology. Of WHO member states, 83 percent employ mHealth in one or more ways. Predictably, higher-income countries used mHealth more frequently, but a rise in mobile and wireless public health initiatives was also seen in lower and middle-income countries.
The Summit will include a wide array of speakers and discussions in order to create stronger connections between professionals in the field of public health. Attendees will include representative from international and federal governments, academia, insurance companies, finance companies, pharmaceutical companies and the medical industry, among others.
Part of the benefit of going to the conference is the ability to network across industry lines, which could create innovation and growth. As part of the Summit, the Venture + Forum aims to increase networking ability by bringing together public health professionals and entrepreneurs. Patterns and trends in mHealth will be discussed, and companies will pitch ideas to the attendees.
The goal of the conference is to inform attendees of “market-moving mobile, wireless and digital technologies.” Events will focus on evaluating mHealth, improving and increasing access to healthcare, creating models for preventative healthcare, researching through clinical health trials and responding to disaster.
In order to truly improve global mHealth, the Summit will focus on evaluating current practices and creating greater awareness of new, and possibly more effective, ideas. As the website declares, the mHealth Summit seeks to be an “ecosystem of opportunity.”
The mHealth Summit takes a business approach to the subject of global health. Rather than depending upon public institutions to create change and innovation, the Summit is bringing together the public and private sector and forging connections. The presentations and networking events suggest that the creators of the mHealth Summit wish to drive innovation in a somewhat competitive environment.
Hopefully, these break-though innovations and global public health discussions will most positively impact those in poverty.
– Tara Wilson
Sources: WHO, mHealth Summit
Photo: Decide Mobility