From drones to data, technology is the new weapon
in the battle for universal health coverage.
UHC means providing the care people need
without imposing a financial burden.
But right now only half the world's population
have access to essential health services.
And of those who do, about 100m are
being pushed into poverty just to pay for them.
Here are five innovations that could help plug
the gaps in global healthcare.
Innovation number one, drones.
California-based company Zipline is setting up
the world's largest drone network in Ghana.
The goal is to deliver urgent medical supplies
in minutes instead of hours.
Two thousand clinics are signed up to the service,
providing emergency care for up to 12m Ghanaians.
Along with its sister project in Rwanda,
the network is expected to save tens of thousands
of lives over the next few years alone.
Innovation two, mobile health.
Apps and text messaging services are now
helping millions of people manage chronic diseases,
screen for cancer, and even quit smoking.
The Be He@lthy, Be Mobile service works in 11 countries.
It makes users more aware of risks
from non-communicable diseases which
account for 71 per cent of global deaths.
One programme targeting smokers has more than 2m users in India
alone.
Seventy-five per cent of participants
said the service was helpful.
And in one survey, 19 per cent said
they hadn't smoked for at least 30 days.
Innovation number three, self-testing.
HIV self-testing kits are now available in 77 countries.
They're part of a global initiative to reach the 8.1m
people who are living with HIV, but are unaware they have
the infection.
A million self tests were carried out in 2017.
And it's hoped that that figure will grow to well over 16m
by the end of 2020, making the goal of ending Aids
by 2030 a real possibility.
Innovation four, data management.
Estonia has digitised 99 per cent of its health data.
Every clinic is connected and health records
can be securely accessed by health providers and patients
anywhere in the country.
That means 99 per cent of prescriptions
can be issued digitally giving GPs more time
to see their patients.
And ambulance crews have almost instant access
to patient histories, saving vital time in an emergency.
1.3m Estonians are in the national database.
And so far the system has run 11 years without a major security
breach.
Innovation number five, new healthcare models.
Clinicas del Azucar is a private clinic
that offers specialised care to some of Mexico's 14m diabetics.
It's looking to plug the gap between the country's
private and public healthcare systems
by offering a patient-tailored service priced somewhere
between the two.
Everything from diagnostics to aftercare
is run out of the same space.
Overall, the system has reduced appointment times by up to 80
per cent, cut patients' annual costs by 75 per cent,
and lowered their diabetes complication rates
by 60 per cent.
Technology alone won't be able to deliver healthcare
for everyone.
But these innovations, and others like them,
have the potential to revolutionise
the world's healthcare systems.
They could even help shape entirely new ones of their own.