Global Health Speaker Series 2024-2025
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
One of the most dire technology gaps in the global economy is the lack of adequate
healthcare infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Ghana, for example,
hypertension prevalence can be as high as 48%, with half of those affected experiencing organ damage
due to lack of proper blood pressure monitoring and treatment. In contrast, the spread of mobile
technology is one of the most lauded successes in LMICs. According to a recent report, 75% of the 3.8
billion mobile internet users globally reside in LMICs. In this talk, we will discuss how we can leverage the
success of mobile technology to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Ghana. We will present the
AHOMKA Care Model, a culturally-adapted mobile health platform for hypertension management, which
was developed by an international team of cardiologists, engineers, surgeons, and public health scientists
with support from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Preliminary results of a cross-sectional study of
this care model using a mixed-methods approach will be discussed.
