Extension of health services in Africa through the use of satellite-based technology

The objective of the Satellite African eHealth (Sahel) demonstration project was to support the extension of health services in Africa through the use of satellite-based technology in complement to other forms of information and communication technologies. In order to achieve this general objective, three intermediate objectives were defined: 1) Provision of medical eContent via satellite for African health workforce, 2) develop satellite-based clinical services for remote areas, and 3) set up an eHealth management information system pilot. The main strength of the Sahel initiative was that it included the complete value chain of actors from medical staff and contacts on the ground, to medical experts in Africa and technical partners in charge of the satcom-based interconnectivity services.