The document discusses the mobile revolution in Africa and lessons learned from mobile services on the continent. It finds that mobile technologies have enabled African solutions to African problems. The mobile revolution has generated significant economic growth and jobs in Africa, with one in three mobile-related jobs located there. Successful mobile services discussed include mobile banking for money transfers, savings and loans, and information. The document calls for decentralized, patient-centric healthcare models in Africa and notes the potential of m-health has yet to be fully realized.

1. The African Mobile
Revolution
How mobile technologies enable African solutions to
African problems
Dr. Joël Vogt
joel.vogt@datenundgesundheit.ch

2. Agenda
• About me
• Objectives
• The mobile revolution in Africa
• Mobile Services
• What I learned about Healthcare in Africa
• Discussion
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3. About me
• PhD in 2013 from the University of
Fribourg and Hasselt University
• Recent activities:
• CERN personal health data locker,
user-driven gamma-ray measuring
• Association Data and Health with
focus on low- and medium income
countries
• Visiting Myanmar got me interested
in m-health et al.
• Picture: Buddhist kids in rural Myanmar
using my iPad. Their first computer is a
mobile device, not a desktop
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4. Objectives
• Find out what is the mobile revolution in Africa?
• Who were the main stakeholders/actors and
what role did they play in the mobile revolution?
• What are the lessons learned from successful
mobile services?
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5. The mobile revolution in
Africa
• Mobile operators generate 3.1%
of GDP
• 7% growth of the mobile
ecosystem in 2012
• One in three jobs related to
mobile technologies is in Africa
• Tech companies (Google et al.)
invest in Africa
• Africa-driven content and apps
• Tech startups and innovators
http://www.economist.com/node/21572379/print
o
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6. Mobile Services
• Mobile Banking:
• Money transfer
• Savings and loans
• Information services
• Weather, sports, …
• Supply chain
• Health
http://www.economist.com/node/21554744
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7. What I learned about
Healthcare in Africa
• Decentralized, patient-centric
health care
• Design for diversity
• m-health success story has
yet to be told
• Fragmented health system
landscape
• Privatization and affordable
healthcare
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8. Discussion
• How can the U.N. et al. help?
• Encourage African solutions
to African problems
• Shift in attitude: My
impression was that too often
poverty is a business model
• Coordinate long or short term
efforts and cooperations
• Provide concrete goals and
indicators (e.g. MDGs)
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9. Sources and
Acknowledgments
• The Economist (2013) Special report: Africa
rising: A hopeful continent
• ATKearney (2013) The Mobile Economy 2013
• The Economist (2012) Mobile payments: A
wealth of wallets
• GALLUP (2014) Africa Continues Going Mobile
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