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. 2021 Dec 24;13(3):E17.
doi: 10.5210/ojphi.v13i3.11550. eCollection 2021.

Strengthening eHealth Systems to Support Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa

Adebowale Ojo  1   2 , Herman Tolentino  1 , Steven S Yoon  1
Affiliations

Strengthening eHealth Systems to Support Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa

Adebowale Ojo et al. Online J Public Health Inform. .

Abstract

The aim of universal health coverage (UHC) is to ensure that all individuals in a country have access to quality healthcare services and do not suffer financial hardship in using these services. However, progress toward attaining UHC has been slow, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of information and communication technologies for healthcare, known as eHealth, can facilitate access to quality healthcare at minimal cost. eHealth systems also provide the information needed to monitor progress toward UHC. However, in most countries, eHealth systems are sometimes non-functional and do not serve programmatic purposes. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strategies to strengthen eHealth systems to support UHC. This perspective piece proposes a conceptual framework for strengthening eHealth systems to attain UHC goals and to help guide UHC and eHealth strategy development.

Keywords: Universal Health Coverage; eHealth; global health; sub-Saharan Africa.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
UHC Service Coverage Index in Africa (Data Source: WHO [6])
Figure 2
Figure 2
Availability of a National Electronic Health Record (EHR) System in Africa (Data Source: WHO [7])
Figure 3
Figure 3
A conceptual strategic framework for leveraging eHealth to support universal health coverage
Figure 4
Figure 4
The conceptual strategic framework for leveraging eHealth applied to the HIV disease domain
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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