Mapping national information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to the requirements of potential digital health interventions in low- and middle-income countries

Background Digital health can support health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by overcoming problems of distance, poor infrastructure and the need to provide community practitioners with specialist support. We used five RESPIRE countries as exemplars (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan) to identify the digital health solutions that are valuable in their local setting, worked together with local clinicians and researchers to explore digital health policy, electricity/ICT infrastructure, and socio-cultural factors influencing users’ ability to access, adopt and utilise digital health. Methods We adopted the Joanna Briggs Institute’s scoping review protocol and followed the Cochrane Rapid Review method to accelerate the review process, using the Implementation and Operation of Mobile Health projects framework and The Extended Technology Acceptance Model of Mobile Telephony to categorise the results. We conducted the review in four stages: (1) establishing value, (2) identifying digital health policy, (3) searching for evidence of infrastructure, design, and end-user adoption, (4) local input to interpret relevance and adoption factors. We used open-source national/international statistics such as the World Health Organization, International Telecommunication Union, Groupe Speciale Mobile, and local news/articles/government statistics to scope the current status, and systematically searched five databases for locally relevant exemplars. Results We found 118 studies (2015-2021) and 114 supplementary online news articles and national statistics. Digital health policy was available in all countries, but scarce skilled labour, lack of legislation/interoperability support, and interrupted electricity and internet services were limitations. Older patients, women and those living in rural areas were least likely to have access to ICT infrastructure. Renewable energy has potential in enabling digital health care. Low usage mobile data and voice service packages are relatively affordable options for mHealth in the five countries. Conclusions Effective implementation of digital health technologies requires a supportive policy, stable electricity infrastructures, affordable mobile internet service, and good understanding of the socio-economic context in order to tailor the intervention such that it functional, accessible, feasible, user-friendly and trusted by the target users. We suggest a checklist of contextual factors that developers of digital health initiatives in LMICs should consider at an early stage in the development process

The Impact of IKN on Socio-Economic Development in Penajem Paser Utara (PPU) and Kutai Kartanegara

The construction of a New Capital City  (IKN) will have major implications for the equitable distribution of national welfare. The development of the National Capital Region (IKN) is a national strategic project that is considered to be able to increase economic growth and equitable distribution of national welfare. There are data that explain empirically the explanatory material that has been discussed. It can be emphasized that in the short term, the development of the  IKN can encourage economic activity through infrastructure investment in the IKN and surrounding areas. Then encourage trade between regions, and open up job creation opportunities. This paper also recommends that development in the context of welfare is not only a matter of increasing economic impact after the development of IKN in PPU and Kukar. However, in the context of the perspective of local community involvement in the stages of IKN development, it must be included, especially the contribution to recommendations for strengthening the socio-cultural aspect. The analysis used in this paper is descriptive qualitative research. In collecting data to support this research will track through data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) for each area affected by IKN

SADC'S transport infrastructure: enhancing the AFCFTA’s prospects through regional economic integration

There is considerable significance, associated with the fact that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has the potential to lift 68 million people out of moderate poverty. If fully implemented, the AfCFTA is estimated to increase regional income by 7 % by 2035. Operationalizing and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area strategy, including regulating the regional economies' transport infrastructure, requires a great deal of work. It is the purpose of this article to examine how Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), can contribute to the AfCFTA. In comparison with other regional blocs, intra-SADC trade represents only 10 to 14 percent of member countries' total trade [1, 2]. Despite Southern African trade routes and infrastructure being among the best. In terms of infrastructure coverage, Southern African countries still lag behind the rest of the world, whether it's road and telecommunications technology (ICT), population density, or power generation. Whether at the national or regional level, these types of infrastructure weaknesses reinforce the infrastructure deficit and exacerbate unemployment, inequality and poverty in the region. For the purposes of this article, a qualitative approach is being used to examine primary and secondary literature, including statistics, reports, and journal articles. According to the results of the study, the REC's infrastructure strategy will positively affect trade and, in turn, boost AfCFTA by improving trade among member states. To spawn structural transformation and create transnational growth corridors capable of driving economic growth and technological advancement, new transformative strategies are required