Building aTelepreventive
Medicine Program For The
Aga Khan Development
Network (AKDN)
President Shams Kassim Lakha,
Dr Sunita Dodani &
Professor Ronald E LaPorte
In collaboration with the Aga khan University,
Pakistan & University of Pittsburgh, USA
AKDN & Supercourse
Presentation Outline
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Concept of telepreventive medicine
Current supercourse network
AKDN spread globally
Current linkages of AKDN with supercourse
Objectives of telepreventive medicine
Preventive cardiology program as a model
“The ability to project programmes and
activities over great distances can bring
educational opportunities and resources into
settings where they are poorly developed at
present, because of financial constraints, or
sheer isolation. Where individuals have access
to computers in their homes or, as will be the
case in rural areas in developing countries for
some time to come, in community centers,
technology can provide the first real
opportunity for lifelong education on a broad
scale”
His Highness the Aga Khan, Washington, 2001
Concept Of
Telepreventive Medicine
Definition of Prevention
“Actions aimed at eradicating, eliminating,
or minimizing the impact of disease and
disability. The concept of prevention is best
defined in the context of levels, traditionally
called primary, secondary, and tertiary
prevention”
A Dictionary of Epidemiology, Fourth Edition
Edited by John M. Last
Rising Life Expectancy (WHO Report, 1997)
80
(Age in years)
70
60
World
50
Less
Developed
More
Developed
40
30
20
10
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
Global Burden Of Disease Project
1996 report
58
Chronic/Injury
Infectious/Other
33
17
10
1990
2020
Global Burden Of Disease Project
1996 report
Developed
Countries
22%
Developing
Countries
78%
Focus On Prevention
WHO focuses on prevention, not
clinical care. Prevention has brought
global improvement of health this
century and will continue into the next.
The most powerful means to improve
health in your country and the world is
through prevention approaches.
WHO report 1997
Concept of
Telepreventive Medicine
Telepreventive medicine
Inexpensive Low to High bandwidth
systems designed to reach large numbers
of healthy people to prevent disease.
Telemedicine
Expensive High bandwidth systems
designed to reach small numbers of sick
people to cure disease.
Focus On Prevention
 Increased life expectancy in the past century
was achieved through the improvement of
sanitation and prevention
 Successful prevention in the past and in the
future needs to be rooted in the networking
of health professionals around the world to
share their knowledge
 Much of the prevention is information
transfer
 The internet is the prevention superhighway
Supercourse - Model Of Global
Health Network
The Global Health Network represents a
group of leading public health and
telecommunications officials who are
bringing state of the art Internet technology
into global health.
Mission
To connect people involved in prevention
worldwide
Global Health Network
Global health network components
• Connecting health professionals of developed
and developing countries together through
internet
• Sharing best knowledge of prevention and
health in a very cost effective manner
• Distributing prevention knowledge both in the
rural and urban parts of the world with primary
focus in developing countries
• Networking NGOs
Global Health Network
• Currently more than 151 countries are
connected through supercourse
• More than 1,500 lectures available on the
website http://www.pitt.edu/~super1
• More than 40% members are from developing
countries.
• In Pakistan, there are 510 members and 45 from
AKU
• We share knowledge, all countries contribute
the knowledge
• Islamic supercourse
Supercourse in Pakistan
• Supercourse in Pakistan was
established and developed from the
grass roots in September 2002.
• Currently this network consist of
over 510 leading scientists who
share teleprevention information in
all part of Pakistan, both in urban
and rural parts
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/pakistan/
pakistan.htm
Aga Khan Development network
AKDN
 A group of private, international,
nondenominational agencies working to
improve living conditions and opportunities for
people regions of the developing world.
 The focuses on health, education, culture, rural
development, institution-building and the
promotion of economic development. It is
dedicated to improving living conditions and
opportunities for the poor, without regard to
their faith, origin or gender
AKDN
 AKDN seek to reach people without
access to services, complementing but
not substituting the efforts of
government and other providers.
 Network agencies function through the
participation of local people at all levels
– in defining services needed, providing
them and evaluating their effectiveness.
AKDN
Supporting 22
countries world wide
AKDN
Areas of development
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Education (primarily medical and primary)
Health (primary, secondary & tertiary
Culture
Architecture
Economic development
NGO enhancement
Rural development
AKDN
Health
• Improve the health and well-being of remote
rural communities.
• Special attention to women and children.
• Examples are seen in rural support programs
in Pakistan, India, Kenya etc
Educational services
• Community based schools (e.g. in Pakistan
rural northern areas)
• Center of excellence offering international
curricula ( India, Bangladesh etc)
AKDN
Aga Khan University
• Chartered as Pakistan’s first private
international university in 1983,
• Promote human welfare by disseminating
knowledge and providing instruction, training,
research and services in health sciences,
education and other disciplines.
“Where individuals have access to computers
in their homes or, as will be the case in rural areas
in developing countries for some time to come, in
community centers, technology can provide the
first real opportunity for lifelong education on a
broad scale. One lesson is clear. The mastery of
the use of the essential elements of
communication and information technologies will
have to be part of the experience of every
university student sooner rather than later. The
use of the technology should have a place in the
educational process itself, and its mastery should
be on the list of competencies that every graduate
should possess”.
His Highness, Washington, 2001
Proposed Telepreventive
Medicine program for AKDN
Objectives
• Develop a network of researchers, scientists and health
care professionals of AKDN and global health countries,
who are experts in prevention and connect them through
Supercourse to the global scientists.
• Establish WHO collaborating centers in AKDN countries
with the collaboration of University of Pittsburgh
• Establish first Public health School in AKDN countries in
collaboration with WHO collaborating center of
University of Pittsburgh and global health network.
• Develop Telepreventive Cardiology nationwide program
as an offshoot of global health network in AKDN
countries
Proposed Telepreventive Cardiology
Program For AKDN Countries
Objectives
• Develop a network of cardiologists, scientists and
specialist around the world to share their expertise on
preventive cardiology themes with AKDN countries.
• Formulate guidelines and protocols on the major risk
factors and behaviors of Cardiovascular diseases by
linking developed and developing world through
telepreventive medicine network
• Establish WHO collaborating centers in the Aga khan
university of preventive cardiology with the
collaboration with WHO collaborating center of
University of Pittsburgh and global health network.
Current AKDN Countries And Spread Of
Supercourse Network
AKDN Countries Supercourse AKDN Countries Supercourse
Members In AKDN Countries Members In AKDN Countries
1
Bangladesh
3
2
Burkina Faso
0
3
Canada
787
4
Congo
1
5
Cote D’lvoire
0
6
India
400
7
Kenya
18 (also from AKHS, Kenya)
8
Madagascar
1
9
Mauritius
3
10
Niger
2
11
Nepal
3
(Cont’d)
Current AKDN Countries And Spread Of
Supercourse Network (Cont’d)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Total
AKDN Countries Supercourse AKDN Countries Supercourse
Members In AKDN Countries Members In AKDN Countries
Nigeria
17
Pakistan
510 (45 in AKU)
Senegal
5
Switzerland
24
Tajikistan
2
Tanzania
12
UK
208
Uganda
5
USA
3689
7344
Telepreventive Medicine
program In AKDN countries
Networking
• Head quarters at the Aga khan university
• A group of scientists will be developed by linking
with developed countries scientists through
internet
• This network will than serve to provide and share
prevention knowledge to al AKDN countries
• Members from AKDN countries will be identified
who will further spread knowledge in health care
professionals, health workers, communities and
rural areas.
• Students trained will carry prevention knowledge
to rural areas.
AKDN Web of Prevention
AKU
Central Asia
Global Health
Network
Kenya
FSU
Northern Areas of
Pakistan
Harvard
Bangladesh
University of Pittsburgh
Proposed Telepreventive
Medicine program for AKDN
Partners
• AKDN
Aga Khan university, Aga Khan foundation, Aga
khan health services, Aga Khan educational
services, Aga khan foundation, Aga Khan
planning and building services & University of
Central Asia
• University of Pittsburgh
WHO Collaborating Center
• Global Health Network
“Development is sustainable only if the
beneficiaries become, in a gradual manner,
the masters of the process.
This means that initiatives cannot be contemplated
exclusively in terms of economics, but rather as an
integrated programme that encompasses social and
cultural dimensions as well. Education and skills
training, health and public services, conservation of
cultural heritage, infrastructure development, urban
planning and rehabilitation, rural development, water
and energy management, environmental control, and
even policy and legislative development are among
the various aspects that must be taken
into account.”
His Highness AMSTERDAM, 7 SEPTEMBER 2002