Coming February 6th at this location from Youssou N’Dour and IntraHealth! Follow IntraHealthOPEN on Twitter

Download a song, open the future of a continent.

Featuring: Youssou N’Dour, Nas, Estelle, Peter Buck, Q-Burns Abstract Message, Toubab Krewe, Afrissippi, Duncan Sheik, Beef Wellington, Hawke

Youssou N’Dour believes a song can change lives. And major recording artists from around the globe have joined him to release a series of remixes in support of IntraHealth OPEN–a new initiative that will change how people think about health, technology and the developing world. Help put the latest advances in open source technology into the hands of Africans to solve the most critical public health issues of our day.

Music can make a difference, and so can you. We invite you to download the remixes of Youssou N’Dour’s single “Wake Up (It’s Africa Calling)” for free, and encourage you to make a donation to this important work.

It’s an “open source song” in support of open source technology, designed to open up endless possibilities for the developing world.

Why Open Source?
Open source technology is ideally suited for application in low-resource environments, being collaborative, transparent and free of licensing and upgrade fees. It encourages independent, affordable and creative solutions to the biggest health and infrastructure problems in the developing world, from shortages of doctors and nurses, to access to maternal and child health care, to distribution of the medications needed to fight and prevent infectious diseases. Using Web-based interfaces, mobile phones and PDAs, open source systems can provide far-reaching and innovative tools to support increased efficiency, productivity and performance of health services and information to meet the needs of families and communities across the continent.

Most importantly, with targeted training and support, open source solutions can enable African developers and health professionals to create, customize and grow systems themselves based on their needs and realities.

IntraHealth: A Catalyst for Public Health & Open Source in Africa. IntraHealth mobilizes local talent to create sustainable and accessible health care in developing countries. As part of this mission, IntraHealth has been collaborating with African governments and private institutions to design and apply open source solutions to strengthen their ability to use health information for strategic health policy and planning.
Working to connect and support new and on-going technology efforts, the IntraHealth OPEN initiative will emphasize forming global alliances, expanding access to infrastructure, and developing new skills and tools that are cost-efficient and technically viable at the country level.