Starlink Roll-Out Across Africa Could help Transform if not revolutionize Digital Health Services

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"“The roll-out across Africa of Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service could help speed the adoption of telehealth services on the continent.

The tech tycoon’s satellite internet offering has been launched in 15 African nations since the start of 2023, bringing reliable high-speed internet to previously unconnected remote areas.

Its arrival has also led some local providers to respond with a price war, cutting costs for users to compete with the satellite arm of Mr Musk’s SpaceX venture.

Starlink could now help boost online telehealth services which give patients consultations and treatment remotely online, Reuters reported.”"

"... Tawanda Njerere, co-founder and chief operations officer of the ZimSmart Villages [in Zimbabwe] initiative, said he was now using Starlink to connect patients to its BatsiHealth online health platform. ... “Our doctors can conduct video consultations with near in-person clarity, seeing fine visual details essential for accurate diagnoses.” ...

Starlink’s website says its connections are sold out in many major African cities, including Nairobi, Abuja, Accra, Lusaka and Harare. ..."

"... A sharp rise in the availability of internet and cheap Asian smartphones has also given a new mass-market platform.

The World Bank estimates more than 160 million Africans gained broadband internet access between 2019 and 2022. The number of internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled from 2016 to 2021. Between 2014 and 2021, nearly 200m started making or receiving digital payments. ..."

Starlink Roll-Out Across Africa Could Transform Digital Health Services - Human Progress

Starlink roll-out across Africa could transform digital health services "Elon Musk’s satellite internet offering is now in 15 African nations, bringing reliable connectivity to previously offline remote areas"

The tech startup boom promising to revolutionise healthcare in Africa "Huge gaps and great funding shortages plague the continent’s health systems – but digital innovation could bring much-needed solutions"

Autonomous drone delivers IV fluid in Ghana

Will Africa adopt drones faster than the West?

"Zipline passed a major milestone this week. One of its autonomous drones, called "Zips," carried two bags of IV fluid from Zipline's distribution center in Ghana's Western North Region to a local health facility — the company's millionth delivery."

Techcrunch Mobility Weekly

With the Covid-19 pandemic behind in the U.S., will telehealthcare access be prohibited again by government bureaucracy?

Apparently, one of the great benefits of the pandemic were the loosening of outdated government regulations to allow for more telehealthcare access and services.

"As the nation moves away from the pandemic era, old rules have phased back in for a handful of states, triggering a major rollback in a critical way that millions of Americans access healthcare. Specifically, this trend has greatly reduced Americans’ access to telehealth services ..."

"We live in the 21st-century age of technological advancement. So why are state governments using 19th-century bureaucratic requirements to raise barriers to telehealth access for millions of Americans?

Telehealth services allow patients to access high-quality medical care from the comfort of their own home using a computer, smartphone, or landline phone. Benefits include significant cost savings for patients and providers alike. In fact, nearly one-quarter of Americans reported using telehealth last year, according to one survey. ..."

Are State Lawmakers Going to Shut the Door on 21st Century Healthcare?