CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: HELINA 93 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ First International Working Conference on Health Informatics in Africa, 19-23 April 1993, Ile-Ife, Nigeria ---------------------------------- OBJECTIVES In the industrialized countries, computers have long since been regarded as an indispensable tool in putting the scarce resources of the health care delivery system into the best possible use. The substantial price/performance improvement in computer and data communications equipment has recently brought the same advantages to the reach of the African countries also. The private sector has already found the micro, and public health institutions are following suit. This development is in accordance with recent WHO resolutions stressing the importance of information support as one of the means for reaching the goal "Health for All". Very few Africans have participated in the big international conferences on health informatics like MEDINFO and MIE. The present-day requirements and problems of health informatics in Africa are, in some respects, so much different from those in the industrialized countries that a specialized forum is needed. The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) is organizing the first scientific meeting on health informatics in Africa and it will be hosted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, on 19-23 April 1993. The purpose of the HELINA 93 Conference is threefold: (a) to obtain a snapshot of the trends, and where possible the status, of the applications of informatics support in the health sector in Africa; (b) to deliver state-of- the-art tutorials on pertinent and current aspects of health informatics; and (c) to avail the opportunity to those involved in Health Informatics in Africa to meet, exchange information and experience and to build contacts for future cooperation. TARGET AUDIENCES 1. African governments decision-makers on national, regional and provincial health informatics policies and strategies. 2. Managers, administrators and professionals of the information activities of the health delivery services, such as hospitals, district health centres and other health institutions which are using or plan to use computing systems. 3. Managers and Systems Analysts of computer firms developing systems for the health sector. 4. Researchers on health informatics applications, particularly in Africa. VENUE The conference takes place at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Conference Center and Guest Houses, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A technical excursion takes place at the OAU Teaching Hospitals Complex, some 10 km away in the town. Ile-Ife is a friendly town with an extraordinary cultural history, at a three- hour drive from the international airport in Lagos. OAU is one of the biggest universities in Nigeria, situated on a spacious, beautiful campus. PROGRAMME AND TOPICS The programme will cover the whole range of existing understanding and experience on the field of computers in health care in Africa, under the following topics. Each topic will be introduced by a tutorial lecture by an internationally acclaimed expert with good understanding of African context. 1. National Policies and Strategies: Dr. Salah Mandil, WHO (keynote address). 2. Informatics in Primary Health Care Management: Dr. Khalid Moidu, Norwalk Hospital, USA. 3. Hospital Information Systems: (speaker to be announced later). 4. Knowledge-Based (e.g. Expert) Systems: Dr. Dayo Forster, Kenya Medical Research Institute. 5. Epidemiological Surveillance and Research: Dr. Peter Byass, University of Nottingham, U.K. 6. Information Storage and Retrieval: Dr. Abel Packer, Latin American and Caribbean Centre of Information in Health Sciences (BIREME), Brazil. 7. Networking and Communications: Dr. Salah Mandil. 8. Informatics and Education: Dr. Eduardo Chaves, University of Campinas, Brazil. 9. Informatics, Health Care and Socio-Economic Development: Prof. Mahdi Elmandjra, Mohamed V University, Morocco (closing plenary address). The tutorials make the conference an ideal opportunity for newcomers to get an overview of the state of the art. Other papers are presented by researchers and reflective practitioners throughout the continent. Time has also been reserved for less formal parallel workshops for specialists in epidemiological tools, expert systems, wide area networking, and so forth. The conference also aims at establishing an African Association of Health Informatics, "IMIA-AFRO", to enable researchers and practitioners to cooperate, share their experiences, and learn from each other in the future also. Proceedings will be published after the conference. The official language will be English. Interpretation services to and from French will be available during the conference. ORGANIZERS AND SPONSORS The international main organizer of the HELINA 93 Conference is the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), the paramount professional and scientific society in the field. The Host Organizers in Ile-Ife are the OAU Teaching Hospitals Complex and the OAU Computer Science Department. An Overseas Bureau is run by the Finnish Joint Organizer, the Computing Centre of University of Kuopio. The conference is co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health, UNESCO/RINAF Project, Commonwealth Secretariat, Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Norway, International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 9.4 "Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries", Academy of Finland, Ministry of Education/ Finland, and International Development Research Centre (IDRC). INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME COMMITTEE Chairman: Dr. Salah H. Mandil, Director-Advisor on Informatics, WHO. Prof. Femi Agbalajobi, Nigeria. Dr. A.D. Akinde, Nigeria. Dr. Marion J. Ball, IMIA President, USA. Prof. Subhash Bhatnagar, India. Dr. Peter Byass, U.K. Prof. William W. Cotterman, USA. Prof. Mahdi Elmandjra, Morocco. Dr. Dayo Forster, Kenya/Gambia. Prof. T. Adeoye Lambo, Nigeria. Dr. Julius D. Makanjuola, Nigeria. Prof. Roger O.A. Makanjuola, Nigeria. Dr. Khalid Moidu, USA/India. Prof. Roger Salamon, France. Dr. Conrad Shamlaye, Seychelles. Prof. Daniel Sigulem, Brazil. Dr. E. Zwangobani, Zimbabwe. REGISTRATION AND ACCOMMODATION Registration fee is US$ 125 (2,500 naira in Nigeria) before 1st February 1993 and US$ 150 (3,000 naira) after that. The fee covers scientific programme, technical excursion, lunches, tea/coffee, welcome reception, cultural programme and conference dinner. Payment should be made through a cheque made payable to "HELINA 93 Local Organising Committee", or cash or bank draft at registration time. Accommodation should be reserved through the organisers. There are a limited number of 2 to 3 star hotels available at about US$ 10-15 a night. The organisers will arrange free transportation between Lagos airport and Ile-Ife if they are informed about the flight number and arrival time in advance. The organisers will also send non-Nigerian participants a Letter of Invitation for the visa application. Please send registration information early enough for the visa procedure and the communication needed! Funding for travelling will be available for a limited number of participants from African countries. If you wish to apply for funding, please attach a separate letter addressed to HELINA 93 International Programme Committee, describing how your participation would benefit your country, and give an estimate of the flight ticket cost. Please send the application in good time to allow for decision-making and practical arrangements! IMPORTANT ADDRESSES Please send the registration form and correspondence concerning local arrangements in Nigeria, accommodation, requests for information about pre- or post-conference tours, etc. primarily to the HELINA 93 Local Organising Committee (address in registration form). Please send all correspondence concerning funding primarily to HELINA 93 Overseas Bureau (address in registration form). Both offices will be glad to help you in any problem. Local Organising Committee:- Mrs. J.O. Ojo/HELINA 93 O.A.U.T.H.C. P.M.B. 5538 Ile-Ife, Osun State NIGERIA Fax: +234-36-230141 or +234-36-232975 (attn. Mrs. H.A. Soriyan) Overseas Bureau:- Mikko Korpela/HELINA 93 Univ. of Kuopio, Computing Centre P.O.Box 1627 SF-70211 Kuopio FINLAND E-mail: korpela@uku.fi Fax: +358-71-225566 ------------------- HELINA 93 PROGRAMME Country of first author: ------------------- 1. OPENING SESSION KEYNOTE: Mandil, Salah H. Switzerland/Sudan 2. NATIONAL POLICIES AND STRATEGIES Chisanga, Justin J. Zambia Health Informatics Development in Zambia Hathem, Mohamed Mahyoub Djibouti National Health Statistics in Republic of Djibouti Woldeab, Mehari Ethiopia The Current Situation of Data Processing and Computerization at Ministry of Health Head Quarters - Ethiopia, 1992 Abounaja, Sadik & Nayak, C.S. Libya Health Information Systems in Libya Nyazema, N.C. & Mbiriza, J.C. Zimbabwe Health Informatics in Zimbabwe 3. INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL TUTORIAL: Packer, Abel Laerte Brazil Ochuodho, Shem J. & Ochuodho, Jedida Kenya AISY: An Integrated AIDS Information System 4. INFORMATICS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT TUTORIAL: Moidu, Khalid USA/India Woelk, Godfrey USA/Zimbabwe The Development of a Computerized Information System in the Harare City Health Department Pinto, Augusto & Piccinno, F & Ahmed, Abdullahi M. Italy QUANTIDRUG: A Management and Planning Decision Support for Quantification and Distribution of Drugs at District Level Olutimayin, Jide Swaziland/Nigeria Developing a Medical Information System for Two Local Governments: Ijebu-Igbo (Nigeria) and Manzini Town Council (Swaziland) Cibulskis, Richard & Afo, George & Annett, Hugh United Kingdom Making Use of Reports from a Computerised Health Information System 5. HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS TUTORIAL: to be announced later Ibrahim, Amal S. & Elhattab, Omar Egypt An Integrated Hospital Information System for the National Cancer Institute in Cairo, Egypt: An Experience to Be Shared Daini, O.A. & Makanjuola, Roger O.A. & Ojo, J.O. Nigeria Hospital Information System in a Nigerian University Teaching Hospital: A Model Lavu, Crispin Zambia Considerations in the Formulation of an Information System Strategy for a Large Underfunded Hospital: The Zambian Case Adelakun, Olayele A. Finland/Nigeria Economic Problem in the Implementation of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) in Nigeria: A Practical Experience 6. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH TUTORIAL: Byass, Peter United Kingdom Alley, E. Soumbey & N'Gadjaga, S.N. & Plaisier, A.P. & Seketeli, A. Burkina Faso Utilization of Computers in Onchocerciasis Control Makanjuola, Roger O.A. Nigeria Health Informatics in Epidemiology 7. INFORMATICS AND EDUCATION TUTORIAL: Chaves, Eduardo Brazil King, Laetitia South Africa The Informatics Specialist as Member of the Multidisciplinary Health Care Team Musoke, Miph Uganda Problems of Information Flow for Health Professionals in Africa: Role of Computer-Based Information 8. KNOWLEDGE-BASED (E.G. EXPERT) SYSTEMS TUTORIAL: Forster, Dayo Kenya/Gambia Boyom, Sop Flaubert & Tamboue, Deffo Esaie Cameroon Expert Systems as a Useful Tool for Tropical Diseases Diagnosis: Case of Malaria Cibulskis, Richard & Crouch-Chivers & Posanai & Karel & Moni & Thomason United Kingdom A Knowledge Based System to Encourage Closer Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Services 9. NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATIONS TUTORIAL: Mandil, Salah H. Switzerland/Sudan Trumpy, S. & Abba, L. & Gebrehiwot, A. & Gennai, F. Italy The Common Technical Platform Adopted by the RINAF Project to Bring Basic INTERNET Services to 15 African Countries Rattan, Renu Senegal Health Related Applications - The African Regional Centre for Technology's Information System (ARCTIS) and its Potential Renaud, Pascal & Michaux, Monique & Sango, Papa France The Experiment of RIO: Towards an Inter-Tropical Network for Scientific Research on Health and Food Makame, Mohammed H. Tanzania International Diabetes Research Using BITNET: The DIAMOND Experience 10. TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT Berhanu, Theodroes & Byass, Peter Ethiopia The Development and Support of Informatics in an African Setting: Experiences at ALERT, Addis Ababa Lutalo, Tom Uganda Use of Microcomputers in Data Management in AIDS and HIV related Research in a Developing Country Ilesanmi, L.A. Nigeria Pharmacy Information Needs and Priorities Forster, Dayo Kenya/Gambia Systems Analysis for a Laboratory Information System: A Case Study in a Developing Country Braa, Joern & Monteiro, E & Riiser, V & Vedel, E & Aanonsen, K Norway Experiences from European Health Informatics: Lessons for African Systems Development? Byass, Peter United Kingdom The Impact of Portable Technology on Health in Africa: Recent Progress and Future Potential 11. PLENARY: WHICH WAY FORWARD? KEYNOTE: Elmandjra, Mahdi Morocco PARALLEL WORKSHOPS for hands-on demonstrations and technical discussions: NETWORKING: Lisse, Eberhard W. Namibia/Germany Computer Networking in Developing Countries: A Presentation of a Low-Cost Solution Using uuPC under MS-DOS EXPERT SYSTEMS: Forster, Dayo (organiser) Kenya/Gambia EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH: Byass, Peter (organiser) United Kingdom HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS: Organiser to be announced later.