[UgaBYTES] News Round Up- Africa

[Mwathi Francis]

*Tanzanian Tourism Boosted by IBM Volunteer Programs*

*E-Travel*

*Dar es Salaam*

Produced by collaboration from the Tanzania Association of Tour operators
and IBM Corporate Service Corps volunteers, the new
www.tatotz.org<http://ugabytes.org/nod/Tanzanian%20tourism%20boosted%20by%20IBM%20volunteer%20programs%20E-Travel%20Dar%20es%20Salaam%20Produced%20by%20collaboration%20from%20the%20Tanzania%20Association%20of%20Tour%20operators%20and%20IBM%20Corporate%20Service%20Corps%20volunteers,%20the%20new%20www.tatotz.org%20aims%20to%20benefit%20Tanzanian%20tourism%20and%20visitors%20alike.%20Equipped%20with%20a%20new%20search%20engine,%20travellers%20and%20tour%20agencies%20have%20the%20opportunity%20to%20identify%20and%20contact%20local%20operators,%20which%20are%20also%20rated%20by%20website%20users%20on%20a%20range%20of%20criteria.%20The%20new%20website%20will%20allow%20travellers%20from%20all%20over%20the%20world%20to%20request%20quotes%20from%20local%20operators,%20whether%20they%20intend%20to%20undertake%20a%20Kilimanjaro%20hike,%20a%20safari%20in%20the%20Serengeti,%20a%20beach%20getaway%20in%20Zanzibar%20or%20a%20cultural%20tour%20of%20the%20capital%20city.%20The%20IBM%20teams%20of%20volunteers,%20from%20the%20United%20States,%20Japan,%20Israel,%20Germany%20and%20Hungary,%20provided%20support%20for%20information%20management,%20preparing%20and%20implementing%20communications%20plans,%20and%20assisted%20in%20building%20a%20new%20website%20with%20the%20database%20of%20tour%20operators.%20http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?nav=11&id=86267>aimsto
benefit Tanzanian tourism and visitors alike.

Equipped with a new search engine, travellers and tour agencies have the
opportunity to identify and contact local operators, which are also rated by
website users on a range of criteria.

The new website will allow travellers from all over the world to request
quotes from local operators, whether they intend to undertake a Kilimanjaro
hike, a safari in the Serengeti, a beach getaway in Zanzibar or a cultural
tour of the capital city.

The IBM teams of volunteers, from the United States, Japan, Israel, Germany
and Hungary, provided support for information management, preparing and
implementing communications plans, and assisted in building a new website
with the database of tour operators.

www.etravelblackboard.com<http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?nav=11&id=86267>





   *Real time e-database to aid free movement of persons in ECOWAS
sub-region*

*Vanguard*

*Nigeria*

* *

Unless a robust and reliable online real-time databank driven by a secured
and open platform is put in place, many factors including infrastructural,
environmental and communication militating against Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement of person will remain
unabated.

The President of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, (ITAN), Dr
Jimson Olufuye, who stated this in a paper titled, 'The function of IT in
building a vibrant databank for facilitation of the implementation of the
protocol on free movement of persons " presented at the just concluded
thematic workshop on the role of Mass Media in the promotion of the protocol
on free movement of persons, right of residence and establishment in ECOWAS
sub-region, noted that using online-real time e-database where data can
easily be stored, processed, retrieved and shared, will remove movement
barriers in the in the sub-region, thereby removing redundancies

While challenging the Mass Media to be in the vanguard for the promotion of
free movement of person in the sub-region, Dr Olufuye who has been preaching
human  capacity building in the  Nigerian economy  told the gathering at the
workshop organized by the ECOWAS secretariat,  Abuja  that member  countries
may not achieve the expected results in the promotion of the protocol on
movement of persons in the sub-region without a robust and seamless  IT
infrastructure among states of the subregion.

  www.vanguardngr.com <http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/24230/51/>



   *Intel, Partners Plan Egypt Motherboard Factory*

*Extreme Tech*

*Cairo *

Intel Corp, the world's biggest chipmaker signed a deal with an Egyptian
company  to build the first factory to produce mother boards in Africa

The ministry said 85 percent of the production will be exported to regional
and African markets. The Egyptian factory will provide between 400 and 600
new jobs over the next two years, the statement said.

www.extremetech.com<http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2335694,00.asp>



   *Uganda Embraces Telemedicine*

*All Africa Stories*

*Kampala*

THE ministries of health and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
are introducing telemedicine to extend quality health care services to rural
areas. Telemedicine is the use of electronically exchanged medical
information.

"Telemedicine is an important tool for providing healthcare services," said
ICT minister, Dr. Ham Mulira.

He was speaking during a telemedicine sensitisation workshop at Hotel
Africana in Kampala yesterday.

The project is being implemented through the ICT ministry's Rural
Communications Development Fund.



www.allafrica.com <http://allafrica.com/stories/200812180125.html>



   *Mobile Phones can Help Manage Diseases*

*The Lancet Infectious Deseases Website*

*Nairobi*

Mobile phones are reaching people across Africa more rapidly than anywhere
else in the world, say Richard Lester and Sarah Karanja. And they can be
used to help manage diseases such as HIV/AIDS, provide support during
political crises and improve health services.

For example, a clinic in Pumwani, Kenya, is using mobile phones to send text
messages to patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) so that nurses
can enquire about, and respond to, patients' needs.

And when hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by the country's
political crisis in 2008, mobile phones were used to connect ART patients
with new drug dispensaries and offer them counseling.

Mobile phones are a cheap and instantaneous form of communication that can
be used anywhere, say the authors. They suggest that this technology could
improve adherence in other chronic and semi-chronic disease treatments,
including tuberculosis and short-course malaria therapies.



www.thelancet.com<http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2808%2970265-2/fulltext#article_upsell>

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-- 
Francis Mwathi
Assistant Technical Officer
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