COMMENT
is partnering with ESA to identify further opportunities, including the use of satellite communications to enable e-learning by healthcare professionals in remote locations.
ESA is also managing a long-term pro- gramme called eHSA to address these topics in Sub-Saharan Africa, involving 11 pan-Af- rican and international organisations.
Eye in the sky
On a quite different topic, IAP is support- ing the development of services to predict and monitor the spread of infectious dis- eases and their vectors. One such service involves mapping mosquito habitats. This uses earth observation satellites to map changes in vegetation, temperature and land use, combined with satellite naviga- tion for geo-localising data collected from serology and fi eld surveys. This is then used to develop predictive risk maps. Another series of projects is integrating similar data-gathering with satellite com- munications, to provide rapid case report- ing from remote areas in Africa, Asia and South America. Typically many elements are integrated to develop an overall health information system for epidemiology.
The logic of IAP is that combining differ-
ent space and terrestrial systems leads to capabilities that are greater than the sum of their parts. The extent to which this is true can be surprising. Thus most people understand the use of GPS satellite naviga- tion for positioning; but few realise that it also provides precise timing information, or that it can provide location in three di- mensions. When combined with two-way communications it becomes very powerful, especially if extended into areas beyond the coverage of terrestrial mobile communica- tions services.
A case in point is the use of satellite naviga- tion for track-and-trace services, which are already being used for the monitoring of vulnerable patients such as dementia suf- ferers. This can be extended to a large scale
for events such as the Olympics, where the safety of disabled and impaired people be- comes a complex challenge. The IAP pro- gramme also has planned or ongoing activi- ties in several other health-related areas, in- cluding private medical assistance; tracking pharmaceuticals in remote regions; biologi- cal fi eld laboratories for emergencies; and monitoring air quality.
These examples illustrate another tenet of IAP: that the satellite element is often only a small but critical part of a bigger system. Satellites are particularly good at serv- ing large numbers of users who are spread across wide areas. Individual applications may be small but by aggregating these niches to achieve economies of scale, satellite sys- tems become very cost-effective. The proof of this, however, is in the project: and ESA is actively seeking potential users in the health sector who are interested in explor- ing what space might be able to do for them.
Alan Brunstrom FOR MORE INFORMATION
The TEMPUS aeronautical telemedicine kit in use (Image: RDT)
Alan Brunstrom, ESA Harwell Centre T: 01235 567 903 W:
http://iap.esa.int
national health executive Jul/Aug 11 | 19
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