During the World Health Assembly in May 2008, the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) mandated the Commonwealth Secretariat to assist countries to:

• Convene High-Level Consultations involving Ministers of Health and Ministers with responsibility for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on the policy challenges facing the rapid scale-up of e-Health approaches;
• Promote the exchange of e-Health expertise between Commonwealth countries;
• Seek funding to support pilot interventions that would serve as regional examples of the potential for e-Health to influence overall socio-economic development across communities.

 

2.     As a result of the mandates of the CHMM, the Health Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the respective health regions in Africa is organising the first series of Ministerial High Level Dialogue on e-Health. The dialogue for the West African region of the commonwealth is scheduled to hold in Abuja from 10th – 11th, December, to work with member countries develop solutions to their e-health needs.

Two products have been developed by the Secretariat in this process:

• An assessment tool to assess the e-Health status in Commonwealth countries
• A methodology and templates for e-Health policy and strategy development

 

3.    Objectives of Dialogue 

• To share country experiences in eHealth policies, strategies, programmes and plans, ICT infrastructure and services
• To share best practices and new initiatives on e-Health
• To introduce participants to the Commonwealth Secretariat eHealth assessment tools and the template for developing country eHealth policies and strategies
• To define the steps and the support required by countries to conduct country assessments, develop eHealth policies and plans and implement effective eHealth projects.

 

4      Expected Outcomes of Dialogue

• Information about existing eHealth capacity and projects in countries shared;
• Stakeholder engagement and discussions on eHealth policy and strategy development and project implementation achieved;
• Key leaders and working groups identified to take forward the eHealth policy and strategy and implementation process at country level;
• Concrete projects identified by countries.

 
5.    The ministry of health is co-hosting the first High-Level West African eHealth Dialogue. The West African eHealth Dialogue will bring together Ministers and Senior Officials from the Ministries of Health and the Ministries responsible for Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) in Commonwealth West African countries.  The Dialogue will facilitate information sharing among countries and enable them to identify priority needs, policies, plans and partnership arrangements in regard to the eHealth agenda.

6.    The Commonwealth Ministerial Dialogue on eHealth in West Africa takes place at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja Hotel in Nigeria on 10th to 11th, December 2009.

 

Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, OON
Hon. Minster of Health.