Policy and Change Management Implications in Building a Continental-wide eHealth Network in Africa: What Can We Learn from NEPAD e-Schools Programme?
Adesina Iluyemi, Jim Briggs · 2008
This paper focuses on how to ensure the sustainability of an African-wide eHealth Network as envisioned by Africa Union Commission in its development strategic plans. A network of this magnitude is expected to improve health service sector in Africa. Three externally driven initiatives that have been proposed as a response to this challenge are thus introduced and, a European Union backed one is then adopted as a case study for furthering this paper's objective. This case is then explored as a mirror for other proposed initiatives for their due consideration of factors mediating eHealth and ICT projects' sustainability in Africa. Evaluation findings from extant NEPAD e-Schools and national e-Government projects diffusion are then employed for devising African-derived lessons for influencing the sustainability of these proposed initiatives. These lessons classified under institutional, human capital and infrastructural factors are thus presented to concerned policy makers and AeHI programmes leaders and implementers on the continent.