Digital Health in Ethiopia
Researchers from Regenstrief Institute and the Fairbanks School of Public Health have established meaningful collaborations in Ethiopia in the fields of public health and health informatics.
In 2019, Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, director of public health informatics at the Regenstrief Institute and IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH), met with leaders of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about building informatics capacity across the continent. This translated in Dr. Dixon participating in a Africa CDC committee for interoperability, which resulted in a report from Africa CDC that outlines a roadmap for establishing standards and interoperability to enable surveillance and cross-continent collaboration in support of public health.
Currently a DrPH student from FSPH is conducting mixed methods research on the adoption of standards and interoperability in Ethiopia that align with the report from the Africa CDC. This work is conducted in collaboration with faculty at the University of Gondar. Additionally, the Regenstrief Institute continues to work with Mekelle University to develop e-learning resources on digital health and interoperability that are used by individuals in multiple nations.
These activities are illustrative of the broad goals in the health informatics partnership with the University of Gondar, which include shared research projects, mentoring and advising PhD students, enhancing exchange programs for teaching and research, and exchanging information related to instruction and training in digital health.
Contact: Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA
