BETTEReHEALTH

ISfTeH Working Groups

The BETTEReHEALTH Working Group brings together a diverse network of experts from health services, technical fields, and academia to advance eHealth initiatives, particularly in Africa and other low-resource settings. The group prioritizes community engagement, international collaboration, and insights from on-the-ground stakeholders to inform the design and delivery of high-quality, accessible health and care services. Its comprehensive strategy integrates human, technical, and public policy dimensions to address the complex challenges of implementing sustainable eHealth solutions. The BETTEReHEALTH ISfTeH Working Group was established following the success of a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action project, which developed a pan-African eHealth network organized around four regional hubs located in Malawi, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Ghana.

Our aims

The BETTEReHEALTH Working Group aims to strengthen global collaboration in eHealth by fostering inclusive partnerships, promoting knowledge exchange, and supporting informed decision-making for both communities and policymakers. With a special focus on Africa and LMICs, the group seeks to ensure eHealth initiatives are aligned with local needs and driven by evidence-based practices.

Board of the WG

Chair

Malawi University

Vice-Chair

Jimma University

Vice-Chair

SINTEF Digital

Vice-Chair

Malawi University

Other

Jimma University

Other

SINTEF Digtial

Publications, reports,
webinars and more

List relevant publications, reports and presentations by WG Board/other WG members

Steps towards the development of strategic  plan to promote successful eHealth implementation in African countries
Author(s): Samuel Quarshie, Oksana Debrah, Lawrence Ofori‑Boadu, Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, Anthony Adofo Ofosu, Kirsti Sarheim Arthun, Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2023 Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS), Issue 22-23 June 2023, 2023
Publisher: 2022 Africa Digital Health Summit

Assessing Strategic Priority Factors in eHealth Policies of Four African Countries

Author(s): Dillys Larbi; Kirsti Sarheim Anthun; Flora Nah Asah; Oksana Debrah; Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2022 IST-Africa Conference (IST-Africa), 2022, Page(s) 1-9
Publisher: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer
DOI: 10.23919/ist-africa56635.2022.9845650

Developing the BETTEReHEALTH registry for eHealth policies and solutions in Africa

Author(s): Mats Blakstad, Amanuel Meseret, Oksana Debra, Abdul Rahman Adjetey Adjei, Mohamed Jmaiel, Adane Mamuye, Chipo Kanjo, Jens Johan Kaasbøll, Kirsti Sarheim Arthun, Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2022 Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS), Issue 23-24 June 2022, 2022, Page(s) 23
Publisher: 2022 Africa Digital Health Summit

Strategic Partnerships in e-Health in Low and Lower Middle-Income Countries in Africa

Author(s): Rayhane Koubaa; Sana Rekik; Mohamed Jmaiel; Million Tesfaye; Maame Esi Amekudzi; Muyepa Anthony; Moges Asressie; Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2022 IST-Africa Conference (IST-Africa), 2022, Page(s) 1-9
Publisher: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
DOI: 10.23919/ist-africa56635.2022.9845638

Best Practices and Lessons Learned in eHealth in Four Low and Lower Middle-Income Countries in Africa

Author(s): Rayhane Koubaa, Sana Rekik, Mohamed Jmaiel, Adamu Takele, Moges Asressie, Abdul-Rahman Adjei, Muyepa Anthony, Mbongeni Chizonda, Gugsa Nemera Germossa, Amanuel Meseret, Kirsti Sarheim Anthun, Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2023 IST-Africa Conference (IST-Africa), 2023
Publisher: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
DOI: 10.23919/ist-africa60249.2023.10187739

Exploring  the value proposition of global digital health inventories for stakeholders

Author(s): Mats Blakstad,  Konstantinos Antypas, Oksana Debrah, Chipo Kanjo, Mohamed Jmaiel, Adane Mamuye, Fikadu Balcha  Hailu
Published in: 2023 Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS), Issue 22-23 June 2023, 2023, Page(s) 51
Publisher: 2023 Africa Digital Health Summit

Research Landscape and Research Priorities in eHealth in four African Countries – A survey

Author(s): Shegaw Anagaw Mengiste, Konstantinos Antypas, Marius Rohde Johannessen, Jörn Klein, Gholamhossein Kazemi, Jens Kassbøll
Published in: EGOV-CeDEM-ePart 2022, Issue Vol-3399, 2022, Page(s) 12
Publisher: CEUR Workshop Proceedings

Stakeholder participation in eHealth Policy development: a  Ghana study

Author(s): Oksana Debrah, Samuel Quarshie, Dillys Larbi, William Addo Mills‑Pappoe, Lawrence Ofori‑Boadu, Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, Anthony Adofo Ofosu, Kirsti Sarheim Arthun, Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2023 Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS), Issue 22-23 June 2023, 2023, Page(s) 53
Publisher: 2023 Africa Digital Health Summit

Obstacles to eHealth Capacity Building and Innovation Promotion Initiative in African Countries

Author(s): Flora Nah Asah, Jens Johan Kaasbøll, Kirsti Sarheim Anthun
Published in: pHealth 2022, Issue Volume 299, 2022, Page(s) 33 – 43, ISBN 978-1-64368-349-2
Publisher: IOS Press BV
DOI: 10.3233/shti220961

Experiences from developing strategic recommendations to enhance the adoption and implementation of digital health in African countries

Author(s): Samuel Quarshie, Oksana Debrah, Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, Theresa Sekoh, Kirsti Sarheim Arthun, Konstantinos Antypas
Published in: 2022 Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS), Issue 23-24 June 2022, 2022, Page(s) 34
Publisher: 2022 Africa Digital Health Summit

Challenges and Strategies for Enhancing eHealth Capacity Building Programs in African Nations

Author(s): Flora Nah Asah, Jens Kaasbøll
Published in: 2023
Publisher: Preprints
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202307.1359.v1

Whitepaper: Digital Health in Tunisia – current situation and strategic action plan

Author(s): Mohamed JMAIEL, Rayhane KOUBAA, Sihem LOUKIL, Lamia BEN AMOR, Sana REKIK, Yasmine KOUBAA
Published in: 2023
Publisher: Cluster HealthTECH Sfax

Report: Initiatives and actors in promoting user-friendliness and universal access of eHealth in Africa

Author(s): Moges Asressie, Adane Mamuye, Fekadu Balcha, Oksana Debrah, Rayhan Okobo, Dillys Larbi, Tiwonge Manda
Published in: 2023
Publisher: University of Gondar

Facilitators and Barriers to the Sustainability of eHealth Solutions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Descriptive Exploratory Study

Author(s): Adane Mamuye, Araya Mesfin Nigatu, Moges Asressie Chanyalew, Lamia Ben Amor, Sihem Loukil, Chris Moyo, Samuel Quarshie, Konstantinos Antypas, Binyam Tilahun
Published in: JMIR Formative Research, Issue Vol 7 (2023), 2023, ISSN 2561-326X
Publisher: JMIR Publications
DOI: 10.2196/41487

eHealth solutions in Africa

Author(s): Meseret, Amanuel; Blakstad, Mats; Kanjo, Chipo; Adjei, Abdul-Rahman; Debrah, Oksana; Takele, Adamu; Loukil, Sihem; Koubaa, Yasmine
Published in: Zenodo

eHealth policies in Africa

Author(s): Meseret, Amanuel; Blakstad, Mats; Kanjo, Chipo; Adjei, Abdul-Rahman; Debrah, Oksana; Takele, Adamu; Loukil, Sihem; Jmaiel, Mohamed; Koubaa, Yasmine
Published in: Zenodo

eHealth Policy Framework in Low and Lower Middle-Income Countries; A PRISMA Systematic Review and Analysis

Author(s): Shegaw Anagaw Mengiste, Konstantinos Antypas, Marius Rohde Johannessen, Jörn Klein, Gholamhossein Kazemi
Published in: BMC health services research, Issue 23, 2023, Page(s) 328, ISSN 1472-6963
Publisher: BioMed Central
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09325-7

Frugal User Involvement

Author(s): Mats Blakstad
Published in: Frugal User Involvement, 2022
Publisher: Reprosentralen, University of Oslo

Experiences with e-health in Somalia: a stakeholder analysis

Author(s): Mahmoud, Nasra Adam
Published in: 2023
Publisher: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Membership &
Joining the Working Group

Our membership:

If you would like to join the Working Group, send a short bio/CV to:
info@betterehealth.eu
Once the WG Board has approved your membership, you need to register as an ISfTeH member.
If you are already an ISfTeH member, please first log in.
If you are not yet an ISfTeH member, please apply for membership.

Benefits of joining our Working Group

Boost your career

Present your work at WG and overall ISfTeH meetings

Be an ambassador in your country

Access grants and funding opportunities

Get access to global digital health experts

Host a webinar on a global stage

Potential to be highlighted on the global ISfTeH website

Learning from others ISfTeH members experiences

Collaborate with other ISfTeH members

Share our mission

Increase awareness about eHealth implementation in LMICs
Improve strategies to integrate human, technical, and public policy factors of eHealth implementation
Collaborating and working together with experts from health services, technical fields, and academia for better eHealth solutions

Build your professional network

Make connections with international peers and leading experts
Find international colleagues willing to join your research projects
Networking opportunities for collaboration and partnerships through the global ISfTeH network
Participate in ISfTeH sponsored and endorsed events

Keep up to date

Access webinars, newsletters, position papers and scientific articles
Receive discounts on ISfTeH offered digital health courses and other activities and services

Benefits of joining the ISfTeH

Listing in the ISfTeH Membership list (with link to your website, if applicable)
Use of ISfTeH logo in your own promotional materials and communications
Dedicated e-mail announcements to ISfTeH members and partners (requests for information, call for partners, announcements of your activities/events, announcements of research papers, reports, white papers or other publications, etc.)
Publish news and information in ISfTeH newsletters (distributed among ISfTeH members and 25.000+ additional stakeholders worldwide)
Participation in Working Groups (or initiation of new Working Groups focusing on digital health areas of interest)
Participation and speaking opportunities at ISfTeH events as well as at other events supported by the ISfTeH
(Co-)organization of webinars
Discounts on participation fees at selected ISfTeH events and ISfTeH-supported events
Access to and discounts on digital health courses and other ISfTeH services
The ISfTeH is recognized as an “NSA (Non-State Actor) in Official Relations with WHO (World Health Organization)”. This provides opportunities for members to receive invitations to regional WHO events and meetings and to join the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) as a delegate, and get in touch with policy makers and influence public health agendas.