Challenges facing health apps in Africa
Mobile based health apps proliferation in Africa has come with both benefits and challenges. There’s no single country where app developers haven’t deleted apps meant to address health sector problems and we all know Africa has the least developed health care system globally. The key difference between apps developed in Kenya to those in Nigeria or in Tanzania to those in South Africa is that patient enrolment is switched to opt out rather than opt in. This means any of the patients included in the apps who don’t want their data shared will have to actively ask not to be part of the system.A mobile developer based in Port Elizabeth South African recently told me that patients should be able to make their health records available to third parties and app developers to facilitate the management of their own health.He said, for instance, that were the data incorporated into an app, a doctor could use the technology to remotely monitor their patient’s blood pressure or insulin levels. Ho