Access to and Dissemination of Health Information in Africa: The Patient and the Public

Abstract

African countries are faced with a number of daunting health challenges. These include maternal mortality, child and infant mortality, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), cholera, and so on. At such a time, Africans need access to health information. Unfortunately, access to and dissemination of health information in Africa is still at its lowest ebb. This article, therefore, examines the benefits of access to health information and the different methods adopted by African countries for the dissemination of health information. The article contends that the synergy between health and information professionals and the adoption of best strategies for the dissemination of health information will help to reduce Africans' disease burden.

Talking health: trusted health messengers and effective ways of delivering health messages for rural mothers in Southwest Ethiopia

“…family, friends, and informal community groups) [3]. This approach is preferred for the transmit of information and teaching of skills to encourage desired behavior changes [5].…”

“…On the other hand, communities may use their own traditional approaches to message delivery, including songs, drama, storytelling, role-play, proverbs, community meetings and poems. Previous studies have shown that traditional modes of communication and knowledge transfer are preferable for poor and rural populations since they usually do not require advanced technology, they are typically very interesting and emotive, and they are easily understood and accepted by the community [4, 5].…”

Information and communication technologies and access to maternal and child health information: Implications for sustainable development

“…It is used for a variety of reasons, including self-education prior to consultation with a health professional, verifying and adding to information obtained from health professionals and adding to women's overall health knowledge. Anasi (2012) concludes that the capabilities of ICTs in bridging the digital gap and resolving the health information conundrum in Africa are not in doubt.…”

An assessment of the general public's knowledge of fatal fetal anomalies

“…Information is an essential factor to develop patient's knowledge and empowers them in their decision-making. 14 Respondents were sampled ensuring representativeness with regards to, sex, age, social class, and region. They were contacted using random digit dialling, ensuring that those who had listed and unlisted telephone numbers had equal probability of being contacted as well as those using both mobile and landline numbers.…”

“…Nonetheless, whatever the choice for parents in any country following an antenatal diagnosis of FFA, the need for the decision to be an informed one is paramount. Information is an essential factor to develop patient's knowledge and empowers them in their decision‐making . Acknowledging all maternity patients' popularity with accessing information from relatives and friends, it is important to assess what the general public's knowledge is on FFA, PPC, and TOP as this will potentially show how accurate this information sharing is.…”