ICT (information and communications technology) has made great strides in African healthcare in recent years, particularly in the treatment of contagious diseases, but perhaps, treatment is not the accurate word -- not technically, at least. A more fitting term is prevention, because as the adage goes, "prevention is worth a pound of cure." Thus, the improvements in African healthcare are in line with close monitoring of disease progression, formally known as disease surveillance.

Disease Surveillance

In general, disease surveillance refers to the practice of observing a disease to determine its progression patterns. By increasing knowledge about a disease, medical experts have better opportunity to predict its behaviour, stop it from spreading, and minimise the harm it could bring. As a result, outbreaks, epidemics and even pandemics are nipped in the bud before they can even happen.

Disease surveillance is dependent on disease case reporting. Cases, mostly coming from hospitals, were tracked manually in the past, leading to inaccurate and untimely records. Because of the Internet, however, major organisations like the World Health Organisation can now report cases. Records are updated in a few days or hours, and then tracked in real time. The cases are also made public faster than ever before, allowing many people to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from the disease. With social media at the helm, awareness spreads quickly, rather than disease.

Disease surveillance has also gone global. At any given time, many people are travelling all over the world -- and possibly transmitting diseases as they go along -- so it's important for preventive efforts to be collaborative. Overseas cases reported by other countries are tracked to protect Nigeria from external threats.

The Role of Technology

None of these improvements in Africa's healthcare could be made possible without technology. Hospitals in Nigeria are installed with modern equipment to help medical experts diagnose diseases, identify their origins, and predict their progression. The knowledge gathered from laboratories can be used in managing symptoms, monitoring transmission, coordinating control efforts, creating cures and most importantly, formulating vaccines as a preventive measure. With early diagnosis, diseases become more manageable as infection rates get lower.

Deux Projects Ltd.

Deux Projects Ltd., Nigeria's premier and foremost EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) company, headed by CEO <a
href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=32694814&amp;privcapId=32509027">Dr
Tunji Olowolafe</a>, has a strong focus on social infrastructure. It provides assets that span across many sectors, including health.

Deux Projects plays a big role in the improvement of the treatment of contagious diseases in Africa. It acts as a supplier of modern equipment to the facilities of Nigerian hospitals, enabling them to have the necessary tools for disease diagnosis and management.

From construction, to the management of facilities, <a
href="http://www.lagosindicatoronline.com/CAPACITY_BUILDING_IN_THE_HEALTH_SECTOR.html">Deux
Projects</a> is present in every step of the process. This is in accordance with the organisation's commitment to health, safety, and the environment (HSE), coupled with its main focus, technology.

[url]Deux Projects[/url] is active throughout the country, so many private hospitals in Nigeria are able to upgrade their facilities, with many more still to follow. Thanks to Deux Project, first class healthcare is made available to the majority of Nigerians at more affordable costs.

While no one in the past has fancied the healthcare system of Nigeria as one of its strong points, the construction of turnkey hospitals coupled with the latest technology is changing the way that people think about such systems within the country. While the movement is still in progress, the introduction of promising medical instruments, such as state of the art MRI scanners, are changing the face of Nigerian healthcare as we know it. While the movement is far from over, those who champion its continuation are helping more Nigerian citizens to live healthy and prosperous lives with each new day.

The Problems with Nigerian Healthcare

In the past, Nigeria has suffered from a lack of both suitable doctors and facilities due, in large part, to:

• Strained financial conditions
• Lack of a high quality blood supply
• Poor or non-existent medical equipment
• Disaster and emergency response capabilities that are inefficient at best

While more and more aspiring doctors chose to travel west in order to obtain medical degrees from the most prestigious of universities; these individuals, now educated, have found themselves keen to return to their homeland for nothing more than a holiday, simply because they believe that they will find:

• Rundown facilities that are unkempt and unclean
• Lack of proper equipment
• Poor living conditions within their homeland
• Better opportunities in other countries along with higher paid salaries, and greater benefits

The Importance of Turnkey Facilities

Fortunately, the onset of turnkey hospitals, constructed with the finest materials and outfitted with modern and sophisticated equipment, are giving Nigerian-born doctors the opportunity to give back to their homeland and its people, should they so choose. When these doctors are able to view the newest turnkey hospitals, they will find a setting akin to the facilities in which they trained. Having this familiarity, as well as the knowledge that they have acquired, will help to give them the edge that they need to finally bring cutting edge medical care to the Nigerian people.

Because turnkey hospitals are now providing high-end MRI equipment, doctors working within such facilities are able to detect potential problems involving cancerous growths, and head and spinal injuries while they are still in their infancy. In turn, the information gathered from MRI results provides such doctors with the ability to prescribe an appropriate treatment regimen, in some cases, before the issue can even escalate. Because these MRI scanners are situated within the newest turnkey hospitals, literally thousands of lives will be saved and thousands more will enjoy an improved quality of life.

Pioneers of the Medical Revolution

Among those leading this revolution is Olatunji Kayode Olowolafe http://www.companydirectorcheck.com/kayode-olatunji-olowolafe, CEO of Deux Projects International, a man who believes that prominent healthcare systems should be available to all. Over several years, Dr. Olowolafe and Deux Projects have worked hard to improve the standards of medical care in Nigeria and the introduction of modern MRI equipment represents a huge leap forward in this regard. Dr. Olowolafe and those who support his cause will never give up until turnkey hospitals are present within every quarter of Nigeria’s borders so that every man, woman, and child living there can find proper medical care.

This will be wonderful. Check it out.
http://www.nigerianmuse.com/20130319113723zg/sections/spotlight-focus-on-issues/lagos-cable-car-first-in-nigeria-to-transform-transport/

Hospitals represent one of the cornerstones in our modern society. Medical treatments and surgical procedures have grown by leaps and bounds in the past century and this trend is expected to continue into the future. With new technologies being developed each year, the implementation of these innovations has saved countless lives. However, the risk of infection whilst in hospital remains at an all-time high level, and healthcare associated infections represent a significant risk to patients and medical professionals alike. Such maladies are defined simply as infections that were not present on arrival at the centre and have developed while undergoing treatment or on-site. Such infections are especially prevalent in developing countries, and steps need to be taken in order to mitigate the potential health risks and mortality rates.

The challenges facing modern medical facilities are robust. Only by a proactive and on-going implementation of these and other practices can hospitals expect to reduce the transmission of potential life-threatening pathogens. This can help protect both patients and healthcare professionals while making a hospital stay safe and pleasant.

There are many steps that are being adopted worldwide to improve the situation.

One of the greatest aims in keeping a hospital clean and preventing outbreaks of such bacteria as E.coli or common staph infections has to do with inter-departmental accountability. In the past dedicated janitorial staff were charged with maintaining the sanitary conditions of the workplace, but now more feedback and responsibility are also given to the nursing staff. The more they actively include sanitation in their daily routine, the more conditions will be kept at optimum levels.

Another important step that has been taken is to create Patient Environment Action Teams. These consulting bodies make objective ratings of every facility that contains more than ten beds on a yearly basis. These teams are comprised of doctors, nursing staff, food preparation professionals and executive and non-executive directors. Therefore, better support and training programs can be proactively administered to further cut down on hospital-borne diseases.

Another area of progress is that of actively engaging with the patients themselves and obtaining any positive or negative feedback they may have to offer. Not only does this allow for greater patient satisfaction but also enables a hospital to target any less-than-satisfactory areas within specific wards and make necessary adjustments as needed.

Finally, preventative measures represent the greatest effect on reducing the spread of internal pathogens. All medical personnel are strictly monitored for their proper hand washing or alcohol rubs before and after interacting with any patient. Sterilisation practices need to be adhered to without fault as many infections can actually occur during medical procedures themselves. Should a case of infection occur, strict isolation measures need to be put in place as the spread of a pathogen is directly correlated to the ability that it is able to be transferred inter-patient or inter-facility. Surface sanitation and anti-microbial surfaces are also greatly emphasised, and their proper implementation can help eliminate the spread of germs and other harmful bacteria.

Professionals such as Dr.Tunji Olowolafe www.lagosindicatoronline.com/Glimpses_Of_The_First_1000_DAYS.html, whose company Deux Projects Ltd both builds and maintains hospitals and medical research facilities, have recognised this growing threat and have begun to take measures to help ensure that all hospitals are clean and safe working environments.