AFRICAN TELEHEALTH SYMPOSIUM DURING MED-e-TEL 2004 IN LUXEMBOURG Africa Telehealth Group, in close collaboration with MED-e-TEL, will be holding a satellite symposium concurrently with the MED-e-TEL 2004 International Trade Fair. The theme of the satellite symposium, as captured in its title, is: “The African Diaspora, Telehealth and Telemedicine: A Symposium for Joint Action”. While focusing on Africans in the Diaspora, the symposium would, nonetheless, seek to pool the energies of both continental Africans and those Africans born or living outside the African continent who have knowledge, expertise, or a passion to contribute to the effective development of e-health in Africa. As well, organizations/businesses from or outside Africa seeking to exhibit their products or services during the symposium/trade fair are invited to formally express their interest. For visa purposes, individuals and organizations from Africa wishing to participate are invited to contact the Africa Telehealth Group for an “Accreditation Certificate”. This certificate would only be issued to those whose bonafide credentials can be established. Please contact Raymond Micah of the Africa Telehealth Group if you wish to attend, exhibit, or make a presentation at the symposium. The general topic areas for presentations are: § Partnerships for Success: Establishing Diaspora-Continental African Relationships Building African-Non African Collaborations § Making It Happen: Identifying and Resolving Organizational Issues § Creating A Facilitating Environment: Policies, Priorities & Institutions § Seeing The Business Possibilities: E-Health Technologies And Their Capabilities Raymond can be reached at micah1731@rogers.com MAJOR AFRICAN TELEHEALTH CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR YAOUNDE, CAMEROUN, JUNE 12-16, 2004 As part of its initiatives to facilitate telehealth transformation across Africa, Africa Telehealth Group is working in partnership with MED-e-TEL and a number of African counterparts to hold an African conference to jointly chart the way forward. The title of the conference is: “All Africa Telemedicine and Telehealth Conference: Envisioning Health Care and Technology Together”. It is planned for June 12-16, 2004, and will take place in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé. The planned meeting would take a decidedly continental focus, as it will seek to identify collaborative and integrative measures that could be taken across the continent to promote and strengthen e-health. Particular attention would be paid to facilitating the sharing, standardization, and interoperability of e-health technologies and practices across the continent. Other key objectives of the conference include the enumeration of existing health networks on the continent, the identification of measures to achieve a comprehensive, integrated continental telehealth system, and the definition of appropriate policy and program frameworks to support successful e-health transformation. In preparation for this conference, Africa Telehealth Group and its partner, MED-e-TEL, would like to invite expressions of interest from prospective participants who wish to contribute by way of a formal presentation, exhibition, or the general sharing of perspectives. Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to contact Raymond Micah of the Africa Telehealth Group at micah1731@rogers.com as soon as possible. The general topic areas for the Yaoundé conference are: § International Public Health Surveillance Approaches: Lessons for Africa § Latest e-Health Technologies and Best Practices: Possibilities for African Adaptations § Telehealth Strategies: Achieving Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Goals § Telehealth and Patient Information Protection Protocols: Current Practices and New Ideas for Africa § From Silos to Partnerships: Enumerating African Health Networks and Integrating Actions § Aiming for Compatibility: Standardization and Interoperability of Technologies and Systems § Making Health Investments Count: Budgeting, Policies and Priorities for e-Health All expressions of interest are welcome, including abstracts, exhibitions requests, and the chairing of discussion panels.