Digital technologies and Global Health in Africa - Al Dahdah, Marine; Duclos, Vincent
Whether it be via online teleconsultations or appointment reminders by SMS, the proliferation of digital technologies is transforming health-related practices on a global scale. In the context of reduced health expenditure and of increased involvement of patients, substantial research has been conducted on eHealth in recent years. Yet, very little research has been conducted in the global South, or in development contexts. However, the impact of digital technologies on health care in such contexts raises critical questions which become particularly acute in the context of increased access to mobile phones, especially in Africa. The recent multiplication of eHealth worldwide illustrates the overall trend towards the globalization and technologization of biomedicine. The widespread idea that digital technologies improve the quality of care, reduce health disparities and optimize health systems takes shape in a diverse set of technical devices and apparatus : mHealth, telemedicine, epidemiological surveillance, etc. This panel seeks to examine these devices and apparatus, and the various ways they contribute to the emergence of new global healthcare spaces and circuits. It also aims to explore how digital connectivity gives rise to new forms of power, of control and resistance. In sum, this panel will bring together empirical and theoretical papers investigating the relationships between digital technology and global health in Africa.
00000
Keywords: conferencePaper