| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
After noting the conclusions of the ITU Ministerial Meeting (Kyoto), on the theme "Towards the Information Network of the 21st Century", the constraints of information exchange, healthcare and education/training deliveries in Africa are indicated. The paper then reviews the cost-effectiveness of telematics and computer technology application in informatics, education/training and medicine/healthcare; and then considers some computer systems for telematics applications.
A case-study of the CARINET Interactive Distance-Learning Programme in which PATU participated during the trial period is reviewed and also some useful information on some international tele-medicine and tele-education organizations and projects is provided.
Finally, the paper describes the concept of the study PATU is undertaking for the establishment of a Regional Telecommunications Information Exchange System (RTIES) in Africa and then concludes with a number of recommendations.
Annexed to the paper is a table of some Organizations providing support in the Areas of Communications Development, Tele-Education and Tele-Medicine.
AFRICAN REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON TELEMATICS FOR DEVELOPMENT
(ADDIS ABABA, 3 - 7 APRIL 1995)
TELEMATICS INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ing. John S. ANDAH
Counsellor-Expert in Human Resources and Technical Cooperation
Pan African Telecommunications Union (PATU)
AFRICAN REGIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON TELEMATICS FOR DEVELOPMENT
(ADDIS ABABA, 3 - 7 APRIL 1995)
TELEMATICS INITIATIVES
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ing. John S. ANDAH
1. GENERAL
1.1. ITU Ministerial Meeting
At the Worldwide Ministerial Meeting on "Global Telecommunications" which was held in Kyoto on 22 September 1994 on the theme "Towards the Information Network of the 21st Century", during the 1994 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, many of the Ministers responsible for information and telecommunications expressed high expectations that in the 21st Century, telecommunications would play a major role not only in resolving national problems but also in dealing with global issues such as the realization of sustainable economic development, improvement of information gathering and dissemination as well as the improvement of education and healthcare. The Ministers also pointed out that although in some countries and regions various sophisticated services have already become indispensable to people's daily life- styles, there are many countries which have vast areas where the people don't even have access to the most basic telecommunications facilities. Attention was therefore drawn to the urgent need to close the gaps in access to telecommunications, through international cooperation and partnership in building the visioned Information Superhighway of the 21st Century.
The construction of an information network which will promote sustainable economic development in the 21st Century is a prerequisite driving force for socio-economic development. The objectives of this symposium are therefore most appropriate since Telematics is the technology combining informatics and telecommunications, for the seamless exchange of information/data electronically between authorized people. Although the exploitation of telematics in industrialized countries is sophisticated and widespread, its application in developing countries is rudimentary point-to-point or point-to-multipoint system and restricted, due to certain constraints.
1.2. Constraints to be resolved.
The population growth in sub-Saharan Africa during the last decade was 3% while the GDP growth was 2%, with an average GNP of US$ 350 per capita. It is estimated that by the year 2000, the world population would be about 6 billion with Asia having 3.5 billion, Africa 0.9 billion, Latin America 0.6 billion, Europe 0.5 billion and North America 0.3 billion. About 70% of Africa's population live in the rural areas with high illiteracy and little access to transport and telecommunications infrastructures and services, not to mention the inadequate education, medical and electricity facilities.
There is the need to provide opportunity for those lacking education as a result of shortage of admission vacancies, limitation of funds, early formal education drop-out (especially women), remoteness or domestic handicaps. There is also the need for equity and quality in the provision of healthcare.
Preliminary issues to be considered in the exploitation of telematics applications in Africa, are : the distribution of the target population, illiteracy level, location (urban or rural), availability of public services, technology transfer and know-how and finance (capital, operation and revenue).
1.3 Awareness of Information Technology.
It is to be noted that dynamic Information Technology has transformed the socio-economic organization of production systems because knowledge is power and central to economic development as well as being a contributory factor to higher productivity. In the present Information Age, economic development depends on human resources, informatics and telecommunications. In the provision of information goods and services, reliable telecommunications infrastructure can make distance irrelevant. This paper therefore mainly considers telematics applications in education/training as schematically structured in Fig. 1 and in medicine/healthcare as in Fig. 2.
It is of utmost importance that African Policy-makers, Decision-makers, Educationists, Practitioners, Technologists, Planners, Bankers and Managers are appropriately advised and made aware of the favourable impacts that investment in telematics applications would have on productivity and the enhancement of the socio- economic well-being and quality of life of the people.
2. COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS
2.1 Tele-Education/Training
It is generally accepted that the cost per student in telematics distance education is less than that in traditional face-to-face forms of education, if cost comparisons are confined to institutions teaching at the same level and quality. Cost-Benefit Comparison carried out by a United Kingdom Open University revealed that :
i) the capital cost per student in terms of infrastructural facilities of open university was about 5 % of a conventional university;
ii) the average recurrent cost per student at an open university was about 30 % of a conventional university;
iii) for subjects/courses which are limited to a small number of students, conventional universities are more cost efficient whereas distance education is more cost efficient when courses are given to a high number of students;
iv) distance education systems have potential for effecting economies of scale as the number of students increases;
v) delivery costs are high when students are widely dispersed and access to target groups is difficult.
Distance education/training also facilitates employment generation (open unemployment in Africa which was 7.7% in 1978 and 22.8% in 1988, is projected to be 30% in the year 2000); and the redeployment of workers affected by the Structural Adjustment Programmes in Africa.
2.2 Tele-Medicine/Healthcare
The application of telematics in tele-medicine/heathcare services has long been recognized in the United States and Europe as a way to improve service to patients and to increase cost effectiveness of the service.
In Africa, even though telematics application to tele- medicine is very rudimentary and limited, it has proved to reduce travel cost considerably and very convenient in user-environments. The deployment of telematics in medicine also provides easy access for isolated medical/health staff to information and consultants with the relevant expertise.
3. INTERNATIONAL TELEMATICS INITIATIVES
3.1 PATU and The Hatfied Associates Distance Learning Pilot Project.
With a current membership of 44 African States, the Pan African Telecommunications Union (PATU), was established in December 1977 as the Specialized Agency of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in the field of telecommunications. The principal mission of PATU is to coordinate the development of telecommunications in Africa in a harmonious and integrated manner and at a pace commensurate with the socio-economic and political development of the continent. It is within the framework of this mission that PATU accepted in 1989, an invitation from the Hatfied Associates Inc., Boulder USA, to participate in the trials of distance learning pilot project developed by Telecom/Telematique International, on ITU Contract. CARINET was the international electronic communications network which was used for the project. CARINET is a low-cost international information management system which enables its members who are involved in the economic developement of the Third World to exchange information quickly and efficiently through a computer messaging network. CARINET used TELENET to access DIALCOM which is the main computer of the host system located in Rockville, Maryland U.S.A.
The Distance Learning Course in English was on "Project Management in Telecommunications". The participants in Africa were PATU (Zaire) and five Telecommunications Administrations (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe), respectively located in Kinshasa, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam and Harare.
The course was delivered to the participating countries by audio-visual teleconferencing provided by the United States Information Agency (USIA) WORLDNET and by computer to computer through the Packet Switched Network and services provided by :
- TELENET (Reston, Virginia USA) which donated the transmission service for interaction and dialogue between faculty and participants and also technical assistance to Telecom/Telematique International and the participating Telecommunications Administrations;
- CARINET (Washington, D.C.) which provided the integrated services and support as a reseller of packet switched network services for Telecom/Telematique International;
- DIALCOM (Rockville, Maryland USA) which provided the messaging service, electronic mail boxes and computer storage;
- USIA WORLDNET which provided facilitaties and services for the audio-video conferencing for faculty-participants interaction.
The courseware consisted of Participant's Manual on "Project Management in Telecommunications" and a Narrative of Lectures on videotape.
The Computer Software and Documentation were : InstaPlan, Learning InstaPlan by Doing, QUATTRO (Spreadsheet) and PARADOX (Database).
The Basic Equipment needed by participants to access CARINET were a PC with a serial port and a MODEM, a communication package (PROCOM) to control the operation of the computer and modem; and a Word Processing programme to compose and edit text.
The Electronic Mail (E-Mail) Boxes were used for the course work/exercises, responses/answers and remarks/results.
PATU's evaluation of the trials of the Distance Learning Project was that it was cost-effective inter-active course delivery method for specialized training and enabled the participants to learn at their own pace and time irrespective of the time zone differences, except the video conferencing sessions. PATU's main handicap was the availability/reliability of the international public telecommunications network of Zaire resulting in very low Call Completion Rate and high Call Interruptions.
3.2 Other International Initiatives
Many African countries organize national tele-education and extension services deliveries of mass education or school broadcast using the national Radio/T.V broadcasting systems. During the last decade or so, a number of organizations and universities have launched some initiatives in tele-medicine and tele-education using multimedia coverage. Some of these relating to Africa, are :
i) Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, established by Commonwealth Governments to create and widen access to education and improve its quality by utilizing distance education techniques and associated communications technologies to meet the particular requirements of member countries.
It assists the creation and development of institutions' capacity in distance education in the member states, facilitates the channeling of resources to projects and programmes in distance education and provides information and consultancy services in distance education including the selection of appropriate technoloy.
ii) Concertation Mondiale Des Rseaux d'Education Distance (COMRED), Montreal, was an International Roundtable on Distance Education of international organizations dedicated to international sharing and cooperation of education and training resources. The conclusions of COMRED are being followed up at the Tele-University of Quebec.
iii) Foundation for the International Exchange of Scientific and Cultural Information by Telecommunications (FISCIT), Philadelphia, is a consortium of universities in Europe, Japan and the United States of America which organises inter-active video seminars on biomedical research. It also organises teaching seminars on primary health-care directed to sub-Saharan African countries.
iv) Global Systems Analysis and Simulation Association (GLOSAS), Flushing USA, aims at creating an electronic Global University (GU) to meet the challenges of global issues. GU seeks to improve the quality and availability to international education exchange through the use of telecommunication and information technologies.
An objective of GU is to empower under-privileged people of the Third World by giving them access to educational excellence available at the more developed institutions. The activities of GU are therefore aimed at creating a global electronic education across national boundaries by developing a cooperative infrastructure and by bringing the resources and benefits of telecommunications to the world's grass- roots.
Of late, GLOSAS has conducted a number of Global Lecture Hall video conferences employing inexpensive media accessible to Less Developed Countries, and has as a consequence helped in building a movement of distance education leaders.
v) International Council on Distance Learning (ICDE), Olso, is an international organization on distance education using radio broadcast for developing countries. ICDE is now developing interest in satellite and television broadcast-based tele- education services.
vi) International Maritime Satellite Organization (Inmarsat), London, carried out tests and demonstrations in inter-active tele-education and tele-medicine in rural and remote areas as well as on the high seas, using land/sea-based Mobile Satellite Terminals (Mobile Earth Station).
vii) International Space University (ISU), Cambridge Massachusetts USA, is developing a "global virtual campus" with affiliate campuses. An international group is designing, under ISU instructions, a global network (ISUNET), with global wideband interconnectivity, for rural and remote tele-education and tele-medicine services using electronic notebook PC technology.
viii) International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), Washington D.C. USA, sponsored a global tele-education and tele-health tests and demonstrations projects known as Satellites for Health and Rural Education (SHARE) during 1985 and 1987. INTELSAT provided free access to INTELSAT space segment while the Users provided the education and healthcare services.
From the INTELSAT Evaluation Report of SHARE, a selection of four education/health projects in which some African countries participated are :
- Applications of Microbiology to African Problems using audioconferencing in March 1986, in which home-based participants were from Cte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. The producing groups were the American Society of Microbiology and George Washington University. The topics treated included Fungal Infections, Infant Diarrhea, Vaccine Development and Parasitology.
- Memorial University of Newfoundland Link to East Africa in May 1986 which was a narrow-band audioconferencing link between Kenyatta Medical School in Nairobi (Kenya), the Makarere Medical School in Kampala (Uganda) and the Health Sciences Centre in St. Johns Newfoundland (Canada).
The links allowed electroencephalogram and electrocardiagram information to be sent from the African cities to Canada where expert doctors using sophisticated computers diagnosed and recommended treatments. The link also allowed students at the Uganda hospital to participate in lectures, ward-rounds and other education session given at the Kenya facility.
- TELECOM-AFRICA using the INTELNET Carrier, SONATEL and NITEL networks established six VSATs each in remote areas of Senegal and Nigeria respectively for the distribution of educational and scientific data to rural study and research centres.
- Tristar Technologies Demonstrating South-to-South Communications. This was a videoconference to establish direct interactive links between developing countries without any support from more developed countries. The link, for comparative healthcare, was between Trinidad and Tanzania using a double hop connection between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean satellites via the Goonhilly earth station in the United Kingdom.
As a follow-up and long-term successor to the Project SHARE, INTELSAT approved Project ACCESS in December 1987 as an on-going programme to provide free use of INTELSAT space segment capacity for tests/demonstrations of educational, health and other closely-related social services sponsored and endorsed by the United Nations. Project ACCESS is intended to stimulate audio or data services to rural and remote areas while emphasizing the potential for follow-on commercial service.
ix) Surrey University Centre for Commonweath and European Education and Development (SUCCEED), Guildford U.K., collaborates with organizations in the United Kingdom and overseas to achieve effective and practical solutions to education and training needs. SUCCESS is involved in the development of a 3-level distance learning course to serve the needs of sports administrators in developing countries of the Commonweath, for the training of volunteers in sports organizations and those involved with international representative teams. It is also developing a programme for the improved utilization of distance teaching materials in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning. The programme includes training in the effective adaptation of learning modes and workshops to train persons involved in the preparation of tutor-counsellors to support distance learners.
x) University of Colorado, Boulder USA, is a worldwide centre for research and training in telecommunications, mass education and distance learning. It is one of the key nodes in the Telecommunications Education Research Network (TERN) which links universities and other agencies in the field of telecommunications, mass education and distance learning.
xi) Open University of Tanzania (OUT), Dar Es Salaam is worth of note. Mainly through the efforts of its own nationals and the cooperation of some donor agencies and countries, Tanzania established the OUT in January 1994, for distance education based on the recommendations of a Committee which was appointed in October 1988 and its report which was submitted im March 1990.
Among the objectives of OUT are, to : - provide facilities for study in all branches of learning, technology or vocation for which distance education is best suited;
- provide access to higher education to disadvantaged groups and individuals especially those in the rural areas, through distance learning;
- promote efficiency in the use of resources by sharing facilities;
- provide opportunities for continuous upgrading of knowledge and skills to enable the country to cope with the ever widening and advancing knowledge, science and technology;
- provide facilities for the upgrading and training of teachers;
- cooperate with national and international institutions in initiating and conducting cooperative research and training in distance Learning for mutual benefit.
OUT delivers its distance learning courses by the multi-media approach based on the print supported by radio broadcasts and audio/video cassettes for degree and non-degree courses.It is exploring other areas of electronic distance learning deliveries.
xii) The International Red Cross (IRC), Geneva, and Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), Paris, (i.e. Doctors Without Boundaries) employ Mobile Satellite Communications Terminals for tele-medicine services and operations between their Headquarters and field staff in rural/remote areas all over the world, for urgent advise and consultations in handling critical cases;
xiii) The European Union (EU), Brussels, supported Research and Technology Development in informatics during the ESPRIT Programme and in telecommunications during the RACE Programme. These programmes resulted in important developments in health application domain.
EU is presently engaged in the Advance Informatics in Medicine (AIM) Programme which has already yielded directly applicable results and the creation of European understanding consensus among industry, research and users in medical informatics.
Annexed to this paper is a table of some Organizations providing support in the areas of Communications Development, tele-Education and Tele-Medicine.
4. CONCEPT OF PATU's RTIES PROJECT
4.1 Overview
At various regional/sub-regional African telecommunications fora, the preparation of documents have usually encountered problems of inadequate sources of information as well as discrepancies and unreliability of the data provided. As a result, Telecommunications Development Planners have difficulties in drawing up comprehensive telecommunication development national plans; sub-regional, regional and international organizations also face problems of effective coordination and planning of their priority actions while financial agencies and investors lack the necessary information to enable them assess the viability and risks of projects. In order to improve the situation, the PATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries has decided that the PATU General Secretariat should undertake a study in collaboration with other interested and concerned organizations, for the establishment of a "Telecommunication Database for Africa" and an associated "Regional Telecommunications Information Exchange System (RTIES)". (See copy of Resolution NΌ 8/5S-CPL/94 attached).
The concept of the RTIES Project is therefore the design and development of a system for the collection, processing and storage of information/data on telecommunications at the PATU General Secretariat and the exchange or accessing of the stored categorized information among or by the participants of the proejct. The activities of the project will involve the promotion of the creation of an information unit in African Telecommunications Administrations and Organizations, an information database and the establishment of an information exchange network, among the participants of the system.
4.2 RTIES Database
The System's information/data will contain :
- Demographic and Economic Data;
- Financial Operations and Investments;
- Human Resources Management and Development;
- Personnel Remuneration and Staff Productivity;
- Telephone/Facsimile/Telex/Data/video Services and Equipment;
- Value Added Services;
- Switching/Transmission/Radio Systems and Equipment;
- Quality of Service (Indicators and Performance Values);
- On-going and Planned Development Projects;
- Local Manufacture, Repair and Testing/Calibration of telecommunication equipment and
instruments.
The information/data will be classified into Confidential, Restricted and Unrestricted Categories.
4.3 RTIES Network Structure
The RTIES Network is to be a 3-tier "Star" configuration network structure as indicated in Fig. 3, and consisting of :
i) National Units (NU) at Telecommunications Administrations.
ii) Sub-regional Units (SU) at Sub-regional Organizations.
iii) Regional Unit (RU) at the PATU General Secretariat and linked to ITU database (TIES) in Geneva, ECA database (PADIS) in Addis Ababa and RASCOM database (RATDA) in Abidjan.
4.4 Operation of the System
At the initial stages of the system, information exchange will be by physical means i.e: diskettes or hard-copies. The ultimate objective however is to have automatic access to the stored information at the SUs or the RU, by authorized officials.
For compatibility, reliability and safety of the system, the following issues will have to be considered : Micro- computer specifications, Floppy diskettes, Information routing, Preservation/Reproduction/Security of the information, Identification codes.
4.5 Required Resources
Depending upon the size of the Structural Unit, the amount of resources required at a Unit could be based on the following :
- Officer-in-charge of the Unit;
- Computer Input-clerk;
- Micro-computer and peripheries;
- Software programmes;
- Consumable materials;
- Repair and Maintenance Budget;
- Institutional Coordination Committee.
4.6 Implementation Work Plan
i) First Phase (Years 1 and 2) :
The activities to be carried out during this Phase are :
- finalization of the Study;
- formulation and production of the Project Document;
- mobilization of Funds;
- installations at NUs, SUs and RU;
- finalization of Legal Instruments,
ii) Second Phase (Year 3) :
The activities to be carried out during this Phase are :
- establishment of Institutional Coordination Committees;
- staff training;
- establishment of the Database, MIS and LAN.
iii) Third Phase (Year 4 and Onwards) :
This is the Operational Phase and the main activities to be undertaken would include the following :
- establishment of Operation Protocols;
- establishment of the Telecommunications Wide Area Network (WAN);
- commissioning of the System;
- refinement of the System;
- inauguration of the RTIES.
4.7 PATU is aware of the existance of the Telecommunications Information Exchange Service (TIES) of the ITU, the Regional Informatics Network for Africa (RINAF) Project conceived by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Informatics Programme and the development of Information and Documentation Infrastructure and related activities for the ECA Multinational Programming and Operational Centres (ECA/MULPOCs) within the framework of the ECA Pan African Documentation and Information System (ECA/PADIS). For the development of RTIES, PATU will definitely need the assistance and collaboration of these organizations.
4.8 African Perspectives in Telematics
In order to ensure the efficiency and authenticity of the RTIES, it is expected that all African Telecommunications Administrations and the five main sub-regional economic grouping (Arab Maghreb Union - AMU, Economic Community of West African States - ECOWAS, Economic Community of Central African States - ECCAS, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa -COMESA and Southern Africa Development Community - SADC) would participate in the RTIES and that a Management Information System (MIS) would be established at all the Units of the RTIES structure for in-house management and decision-making functions.
The growth in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Mail (E-mail) is having a worldwide significant effect in speeding up the processing, transmission, storage and accessing of information. It is envisaged that by the year 2000, the Pan African Telecommunications (PANAFTEL) Network complemented by ARABSAT and RASCOM satellite systems as well as the planned fibre optic submarine cable encircling Africa and integrated into the INTERNET architecture, will significantly improve the interconnection among African countries and between Africa and the other continents. This would ensure Africa's effective participation in the convergence of Information,Computer and Telecommunications of the "Global Village". It is of interest to note that the Group of Seven (G7) of the Industrialized Countries, meeting in Brussels on 25 February 1995, took the historic decision to cooperate in the development of the global "Information Superhighway" and to assist Developing Countries to develop VANS, high-speed transmission technologies and computerization.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
In view of the foregoing, the following recommendations are being submitted for consideration :
i) The available materials and those being developed for tele-education/training and tele-medicine/healthcare by various international organizations should be appropraitely adapted and delivered in quantities according to the needs of Africa;
ii) Research and Development in interactive tele-education and tele-medicine communications in Africa should be supported and initiated;
iii) By virtue of the evolution of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) technologies, it is possible to send voice, text, data and images in tandem and efficiently. Telecommunicatons Networks in Africa should therefore be appropriately developed and integrated as a mix of metallic OH wires and UG cables, radio, satellite and fibre optic cables to cater for the state-of-the-art telecommunication switching and transmission technologies;
iv) African Policy on Telecommunications should take telematics and informatics services into consideration since the cost-benefits can be enormous in the long terms;
v) National, Sub-regional and Regional Organizations in Africa should appreciate the economies of scale for telematics in tele-education/training and tel- medicine/healthcare services and therefore promote regional/international cooperation in this regard;
vi) Preferential Telecommunication Tariffs or cheaper delivery times (off-peak hours) for telematics services for tele-education/training and tele- medicine/healthcare should be introduced by Telecommunication Operation Agencies;
vii) Transborder movement and use of equipment associated with tele-education and tele-medicine in Africa should be facilitated through a regional regulatory regime;
viii) Sub-regional and Regional industries to support the manufacture and maintenance of telematics products in Africa should be promoted and encouraged;
ix) Knowledge and public awareness of telematics as well as computer literacy should be intensified in Africa;
x) African Governments and Research Institutions should invest more in Telematics so as to increase its application in informatics, tele-education/training, tele-medicine/healthcare and business;
xi) Funding and Donor Agencies should increase their investment and support for telematics development programmes in Africa, which have the potential for wide application.
________________________
- iii -
Organizations Providing Support to the Areas of Communications Development, Tele-Education, and Tele-Medicine
Organizations Acronym Funding Technical Assistance Training Planning, Studies & Coordination Broadcasting Development & Information Exchange Areas of Operation Africa Asia/ Oceania South/ Central America & Caribbean Basin African Development Bank ADB x x x African Posts and Telecommunications Union APTU x x x Arab Bank for the Economic Development of Africa ABEDA x x Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development AFESD x x x x x x Arab States Broadcasting Union ASBU x x x x x Arab Telecommunications Union ATU x x x x x Asian Development Bank AsDB or ADB x x x x Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union ABU x x x x Asia Pacific Telecommunity APT x x x x Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development AIBD x x x x x Australian International Development Assistance Bureau AIDAB x x x x The British Council -- x x x x x x Canadian International Development Agency CIDA x x x x x x Caribbean Broadcasting Union CBU x x x x Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization CTO x x x x x x Consortium for International Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by Satellite PEACESAT Consortium x x x x x European Broadcasting Union EBU x x x x x x x European Development Fund EDF x x x x European Investment Bank EIB x x x x Export-Import Bank of the United States US Eximbank x x x x Friedrich Ebert Stifund FES x x x x x Institut de l'Audiovisuel et de Telecommunications en Europe IDATE x x x Institute of Culture and Communication, East-West Center ICC x x Inter-American Development Bank IDB x x x Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics IBI x x x x x International Institute of Communications IIC x x x x x International Programme for the Development IPDC x x x x x x International Telecommunication Union ITU x x x x x x x .../...- iii - (Cont.)
Organizations Providing Support to the Areas of Communications Development, Tele-Education, and Tele-Medicine
Organizations Acronym Funding Technical
Assistance Training Planning,
Studies &
Coordination Broadcasting
Development
& Information
Exchange Areas of Operation
Africa
Asia/
Oceania South/
Central
America & Caribbean Basin
Japan International Telecommunication
Union JICA x x x x x x x x
Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau KfW x x x x
OPEC Fund for International Development OPEC
Fund x x x x
Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of
Japan OECF x x x x
Overseas Private Investment Corporation OPIC x x x x
Pacific
Telecommunications
Council PTC x x x
Pan African
Telecommunications
Union PATU x x x x x
South Pacific Bureau of
Economic Co-Operation SPEC x x x
Swedish International
Development Authority SIDA x x x x x x
Technical Commission for
Telecommunications in Central America COMTELCA x x x
Union of National Radio & Television
Organizations of Africa URTNA x x x x x x
United Nations Development Programme UNDP x x x x x x x x
United Nations Educational, Social and
Cultural Organization UNESCO x x x x x x
United States Agency for International
Development USAID x x x x x x x x
United States Telecommunications Training
Institute USTTI x x x x x
United States Trade and Development
Program TDP x x x x x x
Volunteers in Techincal Assistance VITA x x x x x x
West African Development Bank WADB x x
World Bank :
International Bank for Reconstruction &
Development
International Development Association
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
International Finance Corporation
IBRD
IDA
MIGA
IFC
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Worldview International Foundation WIF x x x x
Source : Worldwide Guide to Tele-Education (1994)
_________________________________
- i -
_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ __
COURSE MATERIAL _ CENTRAL _ _ _Ρ _END-USERS
E - MAIL _ NODE _<ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ>_ NODE _Ρ _(STUDENTS/TRAINEES)
REFERENCES _(MAIN CPU)_ _ _Ρ _
_ΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡ_ __
_ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _
_ΡΡΡΡΡ_>_ NODE _<ΡΡΡΡΡΡ_
_Ρ_Ρ_Ρ_Ρ_
_ _ _
COURSE-FACILITATORS
Fig. 1STRUCTURE OF TELEMATICS
TELE-EDUCATION/TRAINING
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ__ GEN.PRACTITIONERS
PHARMACISTS _Ρ_ _<_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_>_ _Ρ PHYSICIANS
BIOCHEMISTS _Ρ_ NODE _ _ NODE _Ρ CLINICIANS
THERAPISTS _Ρ_ _<ΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡ>_ _Ρ CONSULTANT/SURGEONS
DIETICIANS _Ρ_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ _ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_Ρ PSYCHIATRISTS/
_ _ NEUROLOGISTS
_ΡΡΡΡΡ_Ρ_ΡΡΡΡ_
_ CENTRAL _PATIENTS' HEALTH RECORDS
_ NODE _MEDICAL DATABASE
_ (MAIN CPU) _REFERENCES/LIBRARY
_ΡΡΡΡΡ_Ρ_ΡΡΡΡ_ADMINISTRATION/LOGISTICS
_ _
_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ _ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_
RADIOLOGIST _Ρ_ _<_ΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡ_>_ _Ρ HEALTH VISITORS
LAB. TECHS _Ρ_ NODE _ _ NODE _Ρ NURSES
BLOOD BANKS _Ρ_ _<ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ>_ _Ρ MIDWIVES
_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_
Fig. 2 STRUCTURE OF TELEMATICS
TELE-MEDICINE/HEALTHCARE
INFORMATION MANAGEMENTS & TECHNOLOGY
_
_ΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡ_
_ RU _
_ΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡ_
............._ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ_
_ΡΡ_ΡΡ_ _ΡΡ_ΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡ_ΡΡ_
_ SU _ _ SU _ _ SU _
_ΡΡ_ΡΡ_ _ΡΡ_ΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡ_ΡΡ_
......._ΡΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡΡ_ _ΡΡΡΡΡ_ΡΡΡΡ_
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
NU NU NU NU NU NU NU NU NU
Fig. 3 STRUCTURE OF PATU RTIES NETWORK
LEGEND : <_ΡΡ_> 2-WAY TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS
_ΡΡΡ_
_ΡΡΡ_ TELEMATICS NODES NOT CO-LOCATED
| Previous Menu | Home Page | What's New | Search | Country Specific |