E-Health focus at ITU Telecom World in Dubai, 14-18 October

ITU will join forces with fellow UN agency the World Health Organization (WHO), major broadband telecommunications company Verizon, global management consultancy McKinsey, and the government of Uganda in a series of sessions focused on the opportunities and challenges of e-Health to save lives and healthcare costs on an unprecedented scale internationally.

At ITU Telecom World 2012, ITU and WHO will lead the debate on the use of mobile technology to combat non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardio-vascular diseases, in particular via text messaging and apps. Non-communicable diseases are the single greatest factor contributing to mortality and overall disease burden in developed countries and emerging economies alike.

Verizon have partnered with ITU to present a session on the wider picture of e-Health today and its ability to transform the quality and delivery of healthcare. A high-profile panel including representatives of the ICT and healthcare industries will debate the regulatory, commercial and social barriers to be overcome if we are all to benefit from this transformation in the near future.

Event partner McKinsey will co-host a cross-sector panel session featuring Dr Oleg Chestnov, Assistant Director-General, WHO, to discuss the role of business-to-consumer (B2C) applications in creating sustainable healthcare systems and identifying the new business models and structural changes that will bring about mass market adoption of e-Health applications globally.

The government ofUgandawill also host a workshop on e-Health opportunities at the event. Uganda, home to a large number of diverse pilot e- and m-health interventions associated with accelerating the achievement of the UN's Millennium Development Goals, will draw on its experience to highlight lessons learnt and the need for interoperability and cross-sector cooperation.

"The depth and richness of the conference panel sessions at ITU Telecom World 2012, and the status and strength of the contributing panellists and supporting event partners, are indicative of the central importance of e-Health in improving delivery of healthcare and awareness around the world," said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré.

"With new developments in mobile technologies and the potential of m-Health, we can bring healthcare into the palm of our hands, wherever we are in the world, revolutionizing lives and impacting on economies."

ITU Telecom World 2012 will be held inDubai, UAE, 14-18 October.