Telemedicine: Universal Access to Healthcare in Low-Income countries
“Public Health is an adventure between health for all and all for Health.” P. Kerkar
As we emerge from this pandemic crisis, a new world will blossom. Any artificial barrier against moving our lives online will be brushed away. Out of necessity, our perception of healthcare delivery around the World will have no choice but radically shift its paradigm; because traditional-care settings will no longer be the answer.
Since recently, we are witnessing how America is struggling to redefine a system and design a better place of justice and equality for its most vulnerable populations. World organizations' leadership in Public Health should think about doing the same for low-income countries.
After forty-two years since the Declaration of Alma-Alta, the most significant gaps in care delivery in low-income countries remain in primary care. Around 70% of their primary care is still provided by a broken public health system. It is a defining moment for the World community to understand and address the urgency of that situation by finally making the “Primary Health Care Access” not just a global priority but a human right.
From Tanzania to Haiti, public health systems in underdeveloped countries face the same fundamental problems: Access to Healthcare and Shortage of medical professionals. In Africa, more than 400 million people are living with little or no access to healthcare. On average, Sub-Saharan Africa has fewer than 10 doctors per 100 000 people, and 14 countries do not have a single radiologist.
Global access to primary care will require a bold approach from our World leaders. They will have to embrace innovative delivery models that can help, at a lower cost, increase access to primary care for vulnerable populations throughout the World.
How do we do that?
Telemedicine without borders is the key. Cross-border distribution of health-related services through telecommunications and digital technology, such as mobile devices and computers. Native medical professionals from these countries who are residing abroad can be used as e-providers.
According to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, there are as many as 65,000 unlicensed foreign-trained doctors across the US alone; all of them with medical training and experience from their home countries. This waste of talent, knowledge, and human resources can be resolved and monetarized. The global Telehealth market is expected to reach a USD 25.30 billion capitalizations by 2022.
The introduction of a Telehealth without borders is an essential tool for universal healthcare access. It will undoubtedly have a far-reaching positive impact in places such as Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Countries where patients often must walk long distances to see a medical professional. Patients and healthcare providers will be able to use video conferencing from point-of-care, or their phone to interact with experts living thousands of miles away from their home countries.
We can also integrate deep learning for speech processing and end-to-end speech recognition to overcome language barriers scenarios. Other machine learning algorithms can be used to store and analyze data to predict, learn, and eventually act to compensate for the shortages of healthcare professionals.
All telemedicine requires is a mobile device and internet connection. Most medical professionals will be ready to provide health assistance in their home country on a part-time basis and get an additional source of income.
We will also need a telehealth awareness campaign, education, and training among health workers in these countries. Robust international support will also be necessary for funding, low-bandwidth clinical telemedicine across borders, and a global effort to overcome liability, regulations, and licensing issues.
Let us make this happen. “When it comes to global health, there is no ‘Them’ only ‘Us’.”
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