[UgaBYTES] Weekly News Round Up - Africa

[Mwathi Francis]

*Global Leader Health Level Seven Hosts Pioneering Cross-Continent Dialogue
on Standards and Interoperability in Africa
*14 January 2009
Orlando — Health Level Seven (HL7), a prominent healthcare IT standards
development organization with diverse member representation from around the
world is assuming a growing role in global standards and interoperability
consensus.

 In this spirit, the organization announced today that it is hosting a
high-level delegation of five Ugandan information and communications
technology experts (ICT) at its 2009 kick-off Working Group Meeting in
Orlando, Florida, January 11-16, 2009. This effort is a critical first step
to increased interoperability information-sharing efforts between HL7 and
ICT reform drivers in both Africa and Asia. The Ugandan contingent is led by
Eddie Mukooyo, MD, head of the country's Ministry of Health. Uganda has
served as an ICT leader since the 2003 enactment of the ICT4D National
Policy which pledges the government's support for development of sustainable
ICT initiatives that provide quantifiable results for the benefit of all
Ugandans. Dr. Mukooyo explained the significance of the HL7 event and its
potential impact on Ugandan health ICT initiatives.

http://www.hl7.org/ (Downloadable PDF Document )

*Siemens 2009 Africa Profile Awards Open*
12 January 2009
Johannesburg — The 2009 Siemens Africa Profile Awards competition has opened
for entries, seeking to honour African journalists excelling in science and
technology journalism.
The Siemens Profile Awards, now in their eighth year, are the only
pan-African awards that exclusively promote science and technology
journalism. African journalists are invited to submit entries before 31
January 2009 for any work published in print, online or broadcast media.
Announcing the call for entries, Manager Media Relations at Siemens Southern
Africa, Ms Sithembile Mokaeane, said the annual awards have become a leading
item on the continent's journalism calendar.

http://www.siemens.co.za/en/news_press/news2008/index/aug05_2008.htm

*Continent Soils to Be Digitally Mapped*
15 January 2009
Nairobi-A digital map of the state of Africa's soils is to be put together
in an initiative launched today (13 January).The African Soil Information
Service, launched in Nairobi, Kenya, will produce a digital map of 42
African countries revealing soil type and its component nutrients.

This information will guide farmers and policymakers on efforts to improve
the fertility of Africa's soils, some of which are the most depleted in the
world. The project will be coordinated by the International Center for
Tropical Agriculture.

http://www.scidev.net/en/news/africa-s-soils-to-be-digitally-mapped.html

*Mobile Phone Revolution in a Fledgling Economy
*12 January 2009
Freetown-Post War Sierra Leone is Experiencing the Full Potential of
Information And Communication Technologies (icts). What Has Become the
Mobile Phone Revolution.

A contemporary informal history of the Canadian state of Ontario after the
advent of the French invasion of 1700 almost presents a similar situation of
postwar Sierra Leone. Like in Ontario, following World Wars I and II, Sierra
Leone after the brutal decade long war, has proven that the realties
glimpsed in the cauldron of war mostly give birth to a new spirit of
brotherhood and vigilance, especially in the pursuit of peace and
development, economic reforms including the management of a liberalized
economy.

That comparison aside, in history as in life maturity and wisdom are most
times attained through painful trials and tragic errors. Apparently no other
period in Sierra Leone's history offers such a striking illustration of a
hidden truth as in the 21st Century. Against that backdrop, postwar economic
development in Sierra Leone and economic recovery in general would see the
advent of mobile telephony as important as ever.

It all started unnoticed with a fewer privileged people accessing the
Internet. Majority of Sierra Leoneans never knew at the time, or could
hardly perceive rather, that the ages of global Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) were fast sweeping across the continent.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200901121369.html

*Examination body to display results online*
13 January 2009
Kigali - The Rwanda National Examinations Council (RNEC) has finalised plans
to have examination results displayed online for easy access by both
students and administrators.

The new development was revealed by the RNEC Executive Secretary, John
Rutayisire during an interview with The New Times.

Rutayisire said that the examinations body has also reached a deal with MTN
Rwanda, a mobile telecom company to avail examination results to students
and school heads by Short Message Service (SMS).

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13774&article=12414

-- 
Francis Mwathi
Support Community Facilitator
UgaBYTES Initiatives (www.ugabytes.org)
Telecentr.org (www.telecentrecommunity.ning.com)
Tel: +256 414 370163
Mob: +256 752 995063
Skype: francis.mwathi
E-Mail: mfrancis at ugabytes.org