How PDAs Are Saving Lives in Africa

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Wednesday, September 5, 2007 8:50:06 PM

The UN Dispatch blog has a new article entitled "How PDAs Are Saving Lives in Africa." The author describes how PDAs (namely Palm Zire's) are being utilized in a heath care program in Zambia. The year-old pilot program, is replacing paper-based health surveys with electronic data collection via handhelds. It combines local PDA training with open-source software to place effective health data-gathering tools in the hands of country health officials. The author describes how he came up with the solution and how it is being used in the field. (via Slashdot)

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Haha

abosco @ 9/6/2007 3:17:51 AM # Q
"The year-old pilot program, is replacing paper-based health surveys with electronic data collection via handhelds."

No pun intended?

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + S710a

RE: Haha
PacManFoo @ 9/6/2007 9:18:50 AM # Q
Yes and too bad Palm is Killing of the PDA.

Thank you Apple for the iPod Touch! Finally someone steps up to the plate and of course it's not Palm.

Even though I'm no fan of PPC, thanks HP for continuing the stand alone PDA platform.

Now I just have to decide which device I'm going to replace my TX with. Most likely I'll go with the iPod Touch.

PDA's Past and Present:
Palm - IIIxe, Vx, M500, M505, Tungsten T, TX
Handspring - Edge, Platinum, Deluxe
Sony - SJ22
Apple - MP110, MP2000, MP2100

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Pikesoft developed this application

cervezas @ 9/10/2007 10:48:04 PM # Q
Heh, missed this article, which is actually about one of my babies: EpiSurveyor. While I have only been contributing behind the scenes for the last year and a half (giving support to new developers and making occasional bug-fixes) I wrote the original application--mobile and desktop--back in '04-'05.

Mobile technology has a much more profound impact in the developing world than it does in places like the US. We get all excited about a phone that can do YouTube, whereas in Africa your mobile is used to save you a day-long round trip to the bank on foot, to warn your parents' village that paramilitary forces are headed toward their village, or to help health workers get the information they need to stop outbreaks of infectious disease. It's amazing how many of the worst problems faced by people in the third world--poverty, war, corrupt governments, disease--are being fought in no small part with mobile phones and PDAs.

David Beers
Senior Wireless Developer
MapQuest
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: Pikesoft developed this application
freakout @ 9/11/2007 2:19:07 AM # Q
to warn your parents' village that paramilitary forces are headed toward their village

Mobiles are put to a similar use in developed countries too: "The in-laws are coming! Grab the kids and RUN!"

RE: Pikesoft developed this application
mikecane @ 9/11/2007 8:52:33 AM # Q
You see? Only a Retard would post a comment like that.

He just CAN'T shut up and he CAN'T post anything unRetarded.

Amazing.

RE: Pikesoft developed this application
cervezas @ 9/11/2007 9:04:11 AM # Q
Mike, only a Retard calls other people Reta... oh wait.
RE: Pikesoft developed this application
mikecane @ 9/11/2007 9:12:06 AM # Q
Stop defending the Retard. There was your post, which was actually touching. And that Retard comes along and unzips -- and shows us his usual nothing.

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