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Nigerian health project highlights crucial role of connectivity

Satellite communication is enabling Nigerian healthcare workers to access training, new mothers to learn skills, and the government to quickly receive vital medical data.

A new case study midway through Inmarsat’s eHealth project in Nigeria reveals how reliable connectivity is bridging the digital divide in rural communities. The project, which provides clinics with satellite-enabled mobile medical applications, is part of the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP).

The IPP is a £152 million initiative funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) to partner the UK’s space expertise with developing and emerging countries to deliver sustainable economic or societal benefits.

Health applications

In Nigeria, this has seen 75 medical centres in Kano and Ondo States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) supplied with BGAN satellite terminals and tablets loaded with InStrat mobile health applications.

The case study reports that State Ministries of Health are getting more complete and accurate data to inform policy decisions; health worker test scores and healthcare delivery standards are improving; and disease surveillance is more proactive.

Health workers across the project States cited how they have been empowered through high quality training and regularly use the videos to provide critical care to pregnant women and their infants, including a case where they were able to resuscitate a newborn baby.

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