1. Hss4331a – International Health March 22, 2010 – The Digital Divide

2. But first Today – Course evaluation! Tonight – Your papers are due at midnight! – The poll to choose your marking scheme will be turned off at midnight!

5. “In the twenty-first century, the capacity to communicate will almost certainly be a key human right. Eliminating the distinction between the information-rich and information-poor is also critical to eliminating economic and other inequalities between North and South, and to improve the life of all humanity.” - Nelson Mandela, TELECOM 95, October 3, 1995 (Wilson, 2004, 1)

6. The “Global” Digital Divide Specifically refers to “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” – Lu, Ming-te (2001). Digital divide in developing countries. Journal of Global Information Technology Management (4:3), pp. 1-4.

7. Global Digital Divide A 2002 World Economic Forum report on the global digital divide found that, "88% of all Internet users are from industrialized countries that comprise only 15% of the world's population“ – Pick, J. & Azari, R. (2008). Global Digital Divide: Influence of Socioeconomic, Governmental,and Accessibility Factors on Information Technology. Information Technology for Development, 14(2), 91-115

8. From Wikipedia

9. How is the DD relevant to health? EBM is now essential to medical research Access to information essential to CME Use of e-health tools increase access to health care by remote dwellers IT is essential for HIS Why is HIS important?

10. Criticisms of the importance of DD Maybe the gap is not real, but perceived Technologies are transient, so gap will disappear anyway As computers get smarter, the need for expertise in accessing them will reduce, so the gap becomes less important

11. The XO Laptop -- www.laptop.org

12. The XO Laptop Brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte of MIT Vision = 1 cheap laptop for every child in the world Assumption = children can teach themselves how to use it Method = consortium of top IT people Laptop = under $200, open source, seemingly indestructible

13. The XO Laptop Features: – Virtually indestructible (waterproof, sand proof, etc) – Open source operating system – Screen designed for outdoor use – No moving parts (solid state) – Greater range of WIFI – Easy child-friendly interface

14. The XO Laptop Controversies – Is it reasonable that a laptop alone can uplift a child and his family? – Open source software not as useful in real world – Can it really achieve sufficient market penetration to make mass production efficient? – New competitors in the cheap laptop market

15. Kiva.org -a microfinance website

16. Kiva.org 1 st world people sign up as investors/lenders Developing world entrepreneurs sign up as borrowers We lend small amounts ($10 or so) to borrowers After some time, borrower repays loan

19. Criticisms of Microfinance “privatization of public safety net” – May motivate cuts in government spending Businesses may become dependent on loans rather than on capital investments Since most microfinance focuses on women, it is possible that women are used as credit “fronts” for men, while accepting all risk