Using ICTs and Internet-Based Technologies to Total Health Coverage in Remote Areas in Algeria: Towards the Development of a Telemedicine Project

Abstract

In Algeria, there is about seventy percent of the population that lives in remote areas and the desert. These areas are cut from health services, and the people do not have access to modern health services existing in Northern Algeria. The limited health care budget-delivered to these desert areas, and the shortage of doctors (health care specialists) jeopardize the improvement of health care system in the desert areas in Southern Algeria. Recently, although the Centre du Development des Technologies Avancées (CDTA) was granted the right to develop the feasibility of telemedicine in the country, the project centered in the city of Ouarlga, 600 km South of Algiers, giving only medical consultation and diagnostic to pediatrics. However, this initial project does not cover all the Southern remote and desert areas in the country. Also, it does not provide universal health care coverage to all the people living there. The paper discusses the challenges faced by the local authorities to develop health care system coverage in the South of Algeria. Also, it introduces how ICTs and internet-based technologies can integrated into health care system to help people with delivering most of the modern health services while living the desert areas. It proposes a telemedicine project which is based on WINDOWS NET, Adruino, and other ICT applications to develop an eHealth strategy in the country.KeywordsICT applications, internet-based technologies, Health care system, Arduino, desert areas.