Possibility of Telecommunication Universal Service in the Pacific Islands; Case studies of Vanuatu, PEACESAT and USPNet

This thesis examines the meaning of telecommunication for the remote islands and rural areas of the Pacific Islands through the application and assessment of the 'Capability Approach', which was developed and used by Amartya Sen in his book, Development as Freedom (1999), in which he argues that development means freedom of choice and achievement. This research also makes a major contribution to the study of ICT4D (Information and Communications Technology for Development) and the development of telecommunications in the Pacific Islands, by examining the historical background of communication, and case studies of Vanuatu and PEACESAT with USPNet. In the Pacific, thousands of small islands are scattered in the ocean, which occupies a third of the surface area of the Earth. Each small island is far from the major economic centres and many have small populations. Due to their economic scale, uneven developments and Western colonization policy, many islands did not have a telecommunication service for a century after telecommunication was developed globally in the 19th century. In the 1970s, during the Cold War, many Pacific Islands had an opportunity to use a free second-hand satellite from the United States, which enabled them to provide higher education services and to manage their fisheries. In the 2000s, deregulation and competition were introduced to the Pacific Island counties (PICs) and Universal Service (which provided a telecommunication service to the whole population) was finally achieved in some PICs, such as Vanuatu. This study presents research in measuring the capability of ICT users, policymakers and providers, with interviews in Vanuatu using the 'storytelling approach' and policy document research on USPNet and PEACESAT. The results of this research (both archival and fieldwork) tell us about the dynamism of development and people using ICT to magnify their Capability. Other case studies tell us that Capability does not belong to technology but to people and what they want to do

Remote Medical Education in Indonesia: Analysis of 10 Years of Activities

Introduction: With ongoing development of technology, and especially amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is rapidly increasing need for remote communications, including in the field of medical education. This study aimed to evaluate our telemedicine activities between Japan and Indonesia. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data acquired for the period 2010–2019 inclusive, looking at number of programmes, content, participating sites, and videoconferencing systems. We also digitally sent questionnaires to attendees to request their evaluation of image quality and programmes. Results: There were a total 135 programmes, with 29 participating institutions in Indonesia. The number of programmes increased rapidly in 2017, following a rapid increase of participating sites in 2016. Programmes included endoscopy (50 programmes, 37%), neurology (25, 19%), and dentistry (12, 9%). Between 5 and 10 sites connected with 81 programmes (60% of all), and more than 10 sites with 33 (24%). The most commonly used videoconferencing system was Vidyo (108, 80%), followed by Zoom (15, 11%). Participating institutions were located among 19 cities on the five major islands. Image quality received a favourable evaluation from 98% (504/516) of questionnaire respondents, with 100% (400/400) holding a favourable view of the programmes. Conclusion: Remote medical education expanded in Indonesia in the 10 years under review. This expansion is expected to continue to foster more specialists and it is anticipated to improve medical care nationwide

Social Investment Landscape in Asia: Insights from North and South Asia

AVPN has identified the need for a comprehensive overview of the Asian philanthropy and social investment landscape to offer social investors a guide to the opportunities for social investment in Asia. The Social Investment Landscape in Asia will be an invaluable resource for funders and resource providers as they assess the opportunities and challenges for philanthropy and social investment in the region. It is designed to be a guide for both new social investors looking to enter the Asian market and existing social investorsexploring cross-border or cross-sector opportunities within the region. The Landscape is another way to further AVPN's mission to increase the flow of financial, human and intellectual capital to the Asian socialsector.The report provides a holistic view of the current and emerging philanthropy and social investment landscape in Asia. It also features in-depth profiles of 14 Asian regions which include:- An overview of key demographic and macroeconomic conditions- Key development issues facing the country- Background and context to the social economy in the region- Overview of the legislative environment- Key social investors, recent developments and investment trends- Opportunities, challenges and recommendation

Social Investment Landscape in Asia: Insights from Southeast Asia

AVPN has identified the need for a comprehensive overview of the Asian philanthropy and social investment landscape to offer social investors a guide to the opportunities for social investment in Asia. The Social Investment Landscape in Asia will be an invaluable resource for funders and resource providers as they assess the opportunities and challenges for philanthropy and social investment in the region. It is designed to be a guide for both new social investors looking toenter the Asian market and existing social investors exploring cross-border or cross-sector opportunities within the region. The Landscape is another way to further AVPN's mission to increase the flow of financial, human and intellectual capital to the Asian social sector

Ocean governance

This is a study of the institutional aspect of ocean governance. As a great number of institutions are involved with ocean governance at the global level, the governance tends to be ineffective due to the overlap found in their roles. This study propose

Ocean governance

This is a study of the institutional aspect of ocean governance. As a great number of institutions are involved with ocean governance at the global level, the governance tends to be ineffective due to the overlap found in their roles. This study propose

What’s Past Is Prologue: A Scoping Review of Recent Public Health and Global Health Informatics Literature

Objective: To categorize and describe the public health informatics (PHI) and global health informatics (GHI) literature between 2012 and 2014. Methods: We conducted a semi-systematic review of articles published between January 2012 and September 2014 where information and communications technologies (ICT) was a primary subject of the study or a main component of the study methodology. Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to filter PHI and GHI articles from the larger biomedical informatics domain. Articles were identified using MEDLINE as well as personal bibliographies from members of the American Medical Informatics Association PHI and GHI working groups. Results: A total of 85 PHI articles and 282 GHI articles were identified. While systems in PHI continue to support surveillance activities, we identified a shift towards support for prevention, environmental health, and public health care services. Furthermore, articles from the U.S. reveal a shift towards PHI applications at state and local levels. GHI articles focused on telemedicine, mHealth and eHealth applications. The development of adequate infrastructure to support ICT remains a challenge, although we observed a small but growing set of articles that measure the impact of ICT on clinical outcomes. Discussion: There is evidence of growth with respect to both implementation of information systems within the public health enterprise as well as a widening of scope within each informatics discipline. Yet the articles also illuminate the need for more primary research studies on what works and what does not as both searches yielded small numbers of primary, empirical articles. Conclusion: While the body of knowledge around PHI and GHI continues to mature, additional studies of higher quality are needed to generate the robust evidence base needed to support continued investment in eHealth by governmental health agencies