A team of researchers in Galway will play a pivotal role in the development of technology which will help prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant mothers in Africa to their children.
Hewlett Packard Galway researchers have been involved in developing innovative and leading edge technology in mobile healthcare that will be harnessed in remote areas of the globe to assist with lifesaving initiatives. This week it was announced at the Digital Life Design conference that HP and mothers2mothers (m2m ), a South African-based non governmental organisation, have teamed up in order to use the power of technology to help prevent the transmission of HIV from HIV-positive pregnant mothers to their children by providing a mobile that will give real-time information that can be easily downloaded and will mentor mothers on training and health in this area.
HP have developed new database technology as well as cloud and mobile services that can convert the current paper-based patient records system into a digital community that enables easy sharing of information across the m2m network of more than 700 sites in sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that this efficient managment system will empower counsellors to provide more effective education and support services to pregnant mothers.
Commenting on the initiative Martin Murphy, managing director of HP Ireland said: “This is an excellent example of HP in Galway leading the field by providing mobility solutions and developing mobile healthcare services that can be harnessed across the globe to save lives. Ireland is clearly taking the lead in mobility and cloud based technologies, with HP in Galway at the leading edge of this R&D, providing problem solving solutions.”
The system will provide easy access to up-to-date information on patient treatment plans and advanced reporting tools to provide faster and more effective access to information. In the next phase of the program, m2m employees will be able to collect and share data via basic mobile phones, creating an “always connected” environment.
Each year m2m counsels more than 1.5 million women in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Mothers living with HIV are employed to mentor HIV-positive pregnant and new mothers in health facilites. They work side by side with doctors and nurses, supporting and educating women about how to take their medicines and care for themselves and their babies.
The HP global health initiative, a key part of the company’s global social innovation programme, aims to enrich society by using the breadth and scale of HP technology to drive structural, systemic improvements in health access and delivery. HP connects social entrepreneurs and nonprofit organisations with access to mobile, cloud, and enterprise technology expertise so they can build unique solutions that ultimately save lives.
