PANACeA Network Partner Visits HAIN

Representatives of Aga Khan University (AKU) in Pakistan, the over-all coordinator of the PAN Asian Collaboration for Evidence Based e-Health Adoption and Application (PANACEA) network project visited their partner organizations in the Philippines.

Dr. Hammad Durrani, Ms. Saira Nigar and Dr. Zahid Ali Fahim met project leaders to discuss their updates on activities, availability and utilization of resources. HAIN is one of the AKU partners in the Philippines for its two projects here: mainstreaming E-health among the visually challenged group and in primary health care setting.

The PANACeA is a network of researchers from Pan Asia Region (South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia) that undertakes researches and produces evidence-based useful applications of ICT (Information, Communication & Technology) for the improvement of health services and health status in the region.

In January 2007, Emie de Vera, HAIN Resource Center staff, participated in a workshop called “Regional eHealth Research Network Workshop” which was organized by the Angeles University Foundation (Philippines) in collaboration with AKU. The workshop aimed to provide opportunities for eHealth researchers from developing countries in Asia to collaborate in the development of a regional research network, organize ideas for conducting research, and share their experiences in eHealth.

The workshop was supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Participants were from different universities, research Institutions and NGOs from Indonesia, India, Philippines, Mongolia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Thailand.

During the four-day workshop, six research proposals were developed on the topics of:
• Mainstreaming eHealth in the PHC setting
• Disability
• Disaster/Emergency Telemedicine
• eHealth promotion for Safe motherhood
• TB/DOTS
• Remote Consultation to Rural Mothers

Last December, the different partner organizations met again in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for another workshop which aimed to provide opportunities for PANACeA researchers to present the progress in the needs-assessment phase and discuss the proposals.