The Pan-American Highway, which we all know, connects the entire American continent, stretching from Alaska to the southernmost tip of Argentina. However, this highway is not seamless: there is a 130-kilometer gap between Panama and Colombia where the route abruptly ends. In healthcare, interruptions like this are a daily occurrence. These interruptions manifest in various … [Read more...] about Towards Connected Health Across Borders: The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health
Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer Nelson, MPH, is a Senior Digital Health Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank based in Washington, DC. Currently, she co-leads the Social Protection and Health Division’s approach to digital transformation, leading the division’s digital health team, which provides technical support to IDB’s digital health transformation portfolio to help public sector clients harness digital tools to improve quality, access, and equity in healthcare and public health. From 2010 to 2018, she served as a Learning, Innovation, and Technology Officer in the coordination unit of IDB’s Salud Mesoamerica Initiative in Panama. Jennifer has worked and conducted research in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States with Case Western Reserve University, PAHO, and the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Jennifer received her Master of Public Health and bachelor’s degree in Economics, Public Health, and Spanish from Case Western Reserve University. She has completed all course work for a master’s degree in Health Informatics from the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. You can learn more about her work in IDB blogs or in her publications on Google Scholar.
Supporting Strong Foundations: The Digital Health Strategy Dashboard
Imagine embarking on the construction of a house, only to find that the carpenters, electricians, and plumbers are each following a different blueprint. The result? You might end up with a bathtub in your kitchen! Yet, this scenario isn't far from reality when strong digital health foundations are lacking. To navigate these challenges, the Inter-American Development Bank … [Read more...] about Supporting Strong Foundations: The Digital Health Strategy Dashboard
RELACSIS 4.0: a Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is possible and 33 countries know it
What a Pan-American Highway for Digital Health would enable is that, if a person from El Salvador travels to Jamaica and experiences a health complication, their doctors could access their medical history and learn, for example, that the person is allergic to penicillin, among other relevant health data. This Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is possible, and the … [Read more...] about RELACSIS 4.0: a Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is possible and 33 countries know it
Digital Therapeutics: Will you be downloading your next treatment for diabetes or depression?
Healthcare in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is overdue for an upgrade. Are there digital health investments that governments can make today to both curb the growth of non-communicable diseases and start them on the path of sustainable digital transformation? If you happen to be reading this blog on your smartphone, you might be aware that your app store is full of … [Read more...] about Digital Therapeutics: Will you be downloading your next treatment for diabetes or depression?
3 Takeaways from our Regional Policy Dialogue: The Golden Opportunity of Digital Health for LAC
How can we ensure that digital health improves health outcomes in an inclusive way in Latin America and the Caribbean? This was one of the main points of discussion among country leaders in our Social Protection and Health Division’s Regional Policy Dialogue, Digital Health for All: LAC’s Golden Opportunity to improve the efficiency, quality and equity of sector. The RPD … [Read more...] about 3 Takeaways from our Regional Policy Dialogue: The Golden Opportunity of Digital Health for LAC