Telemedicine & mHealth

Media Release

Soweto, South Africa: In a groundbreaking public, private partnership, the Department of Health, Sentech and Mindset Network announced the official launch of a national health educational TV Channel called MINDSET HEALTH.

The new initiative provides health education TV programmes which are broadcasted directly into the waiting rooms and staff rooms of clinics and hospitals around the country. The Channel which has been broadcasting to 48 clinics in the nine provinces over the past year is now ready to be implemented nationally.

The channel broadcasts a number of programmes in four languages - English, Sotho, Zulu and Xhosa. Some programmes are produced by the Mindset Network focussing on specific topics for a more targeted audience. Others are sourced from suppliers of educational material. Each programme has been selected or produced to address the unique needs of the Southern African situation, providing a distinctive African solution to the needs of the patients and health care workers through the entire country.

The Channel aims to provide the health care worker and the patient with the latest information on prevention, care and management of common illnesses and major diseases, including HIV and AIDS. Real patients are interviewed on the channel and role model health care workers participate to ensure that the programming is both relevant and interesting.

In initial research of the content of the programmes, 88% of health care workers felt that programmes were relevant and addressed some of the challenges related to sharing information and education about good health and general health issues. The pilot clinics have reported an overwhelmingly positive response from patients as well, who are now finding the waiting period at public health facilities to be a beneficial, educational time. Health care workers report that the programming is helping them keep up to date with the latest information on norms and standards as well as the implementation of policies and guidelines in the health sector as a whole.

Ann Lamont, chief executive of Mindset Network comments, "At one of our pilot sites, we have had reports that patients have shown an increased willingness to be tested, and to go for counselling as a result of the programming. This is the kind of response we are aiming for on a mass scale around the country to address the key diseases affecting us all."

The Channel aims to be in all 4 000 public healthcare sites in South Africa within five years, serving 97 000 nurses and 36 million South Africans dependent on the public health care sector with education and information for patients and healthcare workers.

Sentech provides the backbone infrastructure on which the Health Channel is carried. Mr Gladwin Marumo COO of Sentech explains: "We are using groundbreaking technology to deliver the Health Channel effectively. This channel is delivered through satellite broadcast and datacasting directly to users. Datacasting is a method of sending video and data simultaneously to multiple locations, the information transmitted can also be stored on site. Healthcare workers can view content on demand rather than having to record it or watch it live when it may be inconvenient. This is a good example of how technology can be effectively used to uplift communities and support the work and role of government."

The new initiative is also in line with the new National Health Act, and will provide support to the health sector by providing information and education to both patients and healthcare workers alike. The Department of Health were key in the development of the concept for an educational health channel. Commenting on the launch, the former Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang noted: "This health network will be critical for supporting the training of healthcare workers and the mass public education around key health issues facing the citizens of our country."

In addition to the satellite broadcasts - the general public will also be able to access vital information through the MINDSET HEALTH Internet site http://www.mindset.co.za/health/index.html which will also include printed information.

Mindset Network was started in 2002 to provide educational material to South Africans through satellite technology. This non-profit organisation currently provides two educational channels - Mindset Learn and Mindset Health - which broadcast educational television programmes throughout South Africa. In order to receive the Mindset Network receiving equipment must be installed; thereafter the service is free to the user. Programmes are curriculum based and developed or sourced to address local needs. Programmes are also supported with printed materials and web-based information to assist the learner. The Mindset Network is funded through donations, public and private partnerships, and by the founding partners of Liberty Life, Standard Bank, Sunday Times, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, Telkom Foundation, Sentech, PanAmSat and MultiChoice Foundation. For more information on connecting to Mindset - please call  (011) 339 4325 .