Abstract

PIP: Recent reports from the Internet Society, a nonprofit nongovernmental organization (NGO) which oversees internet standards and connectivity, indicate that almost every country in the world now has some form of internet access. While the internet is truly global, local conditions vary widely and access remains limited to the technological elite of businesses, government, and universities. Governments worldwide, however, are committing to develop communications infrastructures in their countries, and organizations such as the World Bank and the UN have launched initiatives to take advantage of breaking technological developments. Some NGOs are finding innovative ways to help wire the world, while others are beginning to add computer-assisted education to their training and development programs. Countries without access to information technology risk facing information poverty as well as economic hardship. Countries without information technology, and professionals who work in those countries, will particularly be disadvantaged in the health field. As international science networks and updates in medical technology become increasingly electronic, research and development could either slow or halt in countries without access. Information technology is changing how health providers work around the world and is fast becoming a necessity in the developing world. One example is ProMED, an e-mail based discussion group comprised of researchers, physicians, and others who study, monitor, and share information about emerging diseases in the developing world. Distance learning in health and AVSC's work in information technology are described.