<s>
Satmed	B-Application
(	O
or	O
SATMED	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
satellite-based	O
eHealth	B-Application
communications	O
platform	O
,	O
in	O
particular	O
for	O
provision	O
of	O
eHealth	B-Application
to	O
remote	O
,	O
resource-poor	O
areas	O
of	O
emerging	O
and	O
developing	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
was	O
formed	O
to	O
address	O
the	O
problem	O
that	O
in	O
many	O
remote	O
regions	O
of	O
developing	O
countries	O
there	O
is	O
not	O
only	O
a	O
significant	O
lack	O
of	O
facilities	O
and	O
trained	O
health	O
professionals	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
no	O
communications	O
infrastructure	O
to	O
remote	O
villages	O
(	O
and	O
so	O
no	O
access	O
to	O
eHealth	B-Application
)	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
a	O
reliable	O
electricity	O
supply	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
provides	O
the	O
satellite	O
connectivity	O
and	O
integrates	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
capabilities	O
in	O
a	O
single	O
platform	O
,	O
including	O
access	O
and	O
storage	O
of	O
patient	O
e-records	O
,	O
medical	O
imaging	O
,	O
virtual	O
consultation	O
,	O
e-learning	O
,	O
remote	O
monitoring	O
and	O
e-health	B-Application
management	O
and	O
video	O
conferencing	O
..	O
The	O
cloud-based	O
system	O
reduces	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
expensive	O
on-the-ground	O
ICT	O
resources	O
and	O
their	O
maintenance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
in	O
a	O
pilot	O
phase	O
for	O
the	O
design	O
and	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
platform	O
(	O
developed	O
by	O
SES	O
TechCom	O
Services	O
,	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
satellite	O
operator	O
SES	O
and	O
Berlin-based	O
telemedicine	B-Application
technology	O
company	O
,	O
e-Medical	O
Communication	O
)	O
,	O
Satmed	B-Application
deployed	O
satellite	O
terminal	O
equipment	O
and	O
the	O
software	O
platform	O
to	O
partner	O
organisations	O
,	O
including	O
NGOs	O
,	O
hospitals	O
,	O
medical	O
universities	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
health	O
care	O
providers	O
active	O
in	O
areas	O
of	O
Bangladesh	O
,	O
Benin	O
,	O
Eritrea	O
,	O
Guinea	O
,	O
Niger	O
,	O
the	O
Philippines	O
,	O
and	O
Sierra	O
Leone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
can	O
provide	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
was	O
conceived	O
by	O
SES	O
TechCom	O
,	O
the	O
engineering	O
services	O
division	O
of	O
satellite	O
operator	O
SES	O
,	O
and	O
supported	O
by	O
the	O
Luxembourg	O
Government	O
and	O
the	O
Minister	O
for	O
Cooperation	O
and	O
Humanitarian	O
Action	O
,	O
and	O
five	O
Non-Governmental	O
Organisations	O
(	O
NGO	O
)	O
–	O
Archemed	O
,	O
Fondation	O
Follereau	O
,	O
Friendship	O
,	O
German	O
Doctors	O
and	O
Médecins	O
Sans	O
Frontières	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
,	O
SES	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
become	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Clinton	O
Global	O
Initiative	O
(	O
CGI	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
the	O
2014	O
CGI	O
Annual	O
Meeting	O
announced	O
its	O
Commitment	O
to	O
Action	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Satmed	B-Application
pilot	O
phase	O
was	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
start	O
in	O
mid-2015	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
outbreak	O
of	O
Ebola	O
in	O
West	O
Africa	O
meant	O
that	O
programme	O
was	O
brought	O
forward	O
and	O
Satmed	B-Application
was	O
first	O
deployed	O
in	O
Sierra	O
Leone	O
in	O
support	O
of	O
the	O
fight	O
against	O
Ebola	O
in	O
November	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
healthcare	O
system	O
won	O
the	O
'	O
Changing	O
Lives	O
 '	O
category	O
in	O
the	O
VSAT	O
Stellar	O
Awards	O
,	O
presented	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
VSAT	O
Global	O
conference	O
in	O
London	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Luxembourg	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Foreign	O
and	O
European	O
Affairs	O
extended	O
the	O
contract	O
with	O
SES	O
to	O
maintain	O
,	O
support	O
,	O
and	O
continue	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
until	O
2020	O
,	O
extending	O
the	O
provision	O
of	O
satellite	O
connectivity	O
over	O
Africa	O
,	O
the	O
Philippines	O
and	O
Bangladesh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
Government	O
of	O
Luxembourg	O
made	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
available	O
free	O
of	O
charge	O
for	O
healthcare	O
professionals	O
of	O
selected	O
health	O
organisations	O
,	O
to	O
fight	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Existing	O
Satmed	B-Application
projects	O
in	O
Sierra	O
Leone	O
and	O
Bangladesh	O
have	O
proved	O
instrumental	O
in	O
detection	O
and	O
treatment	O
of	O
COVID-19	O
in	O
geographically-isolated	O
regions	O
of	O
those	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
Luxembourg	O
government	O
further	O
extended	O
the	O
contract	O
with	O
SES	O
to	O
provide	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
satellite	O
platform	O
to	O
2024	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
€6.5	O
billion	O
budget	O
and	O
plans	O
for	O
new	O
functionalities	O
,	O
deployments	O
and	O
partnerships	O
with	O
both	O
more	O
NGOs	O
and	O
supranational	O
organisations	O
to	O
provide	O
regional	O
or	O
cross-country	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2022	O
,	O
Satmed	B-Application
was	O
awarded	O
the	O
World	O
Summit	O
on	O
the	O
Information	O
Society	O
(	O
WSIS	O
)	O
prize	O
for	O
International	O
and	O
Regional	O
Cooperation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
,	O
Satmed	B-Application
deployed	O
VSATs	O
on	O
floating	O
hospital	O
ships	O
to	O
provide	O
healthcare	O
services	O
to	O
the	O
'	O
Char	O
dwellers	O
 '	O
on	O
sediment	O
islands	O
in	O
the	O
rivers	O
of	O
Bangladesh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connectivity	O
by	O
satellite	O
(	O
otherwise	O
unavailable	O
to	O
the	O
islands	O
)	O
enables	O
staff	O
to	O
share	O
medical	O
records	O
across	O
the	O
three	O
hospital	O
ships	O
,	O
to	O
synchronise	O
information	O
at	O
the	O
headquarters	O
in	O
Dhaka	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
use	O
Satmed	B-Application
’s	O
e-learning	O
tools	O
in	O
the	O
Friendship	O
teaching	O
centre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deployed	O
in	O
June	O
2015	O
,	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
at	O
Maternité	O
Hospital	O
built	O
in	O
by	O
Fondation	O
Follereau	O
Luxembourg	O
(	O
FFL	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
village	O
of	O
Ahozonnoude	O
,	O
Benin	O
provides	O
communications	O
between	O
the	O
maternity	O
hospital	O
in	O
Ahozonnoude	O
,	O
the	O
hospital	O
in	O
capital	O
Cotonou	O
and	O
a	O
third	O
hospital	O
unit	O
in	O
Allada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
can	O
also	O
deliver	O
remote	O
online	O
training	O
,	O
enabling	O
midwives	O
and	O
health	O
workers	O
to	O
have	O
their	O
performance	O
monitored	O
and	O
evaluated	O
to	O
improve	O
healthcare	O
standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
a	O
second	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
was	O
deployed	O
at	O
Centre	O
de	O
Dépistage	O
et	O
de	O
traitement	O
de	O
l’Ulcère	O
de	O
Buruli	O
in	O
Allada	O
,	O
Benin	O
,	O
for	O
FFL	O
to	O
provide	O
communications	O
with	O
doctors	O
and	O
medical	O
experts	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
access	O
online	O
training	O
tools	O
,	O
establish	O
video	O
conferencing	O
,	O
data	O
collection	O
and	O
analysis	O
,	O
and	O
raise	O
awareness	O
of	O
tropical	O
diseases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
has	O
been	O
deployed	O
in	O
the	O
Asmara	O
Medical	O
School	O
and	O
Orotta	O
Referral	O
Hospital	O
(	O
both	O
in	O
the	O
capital	O
city	O
Asmara	O
and	O
the	O
only	O
institutes	O
of	O
advanced	O
secondary	O
and	O
tertiary	O
care	O
in	O
Eritrea	O
)	O
and	O
in	O
provincial	O
hospitals	O
in	O
Keren	O
and	O
Barentu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Satmed	B-Application
system	O
is	O
primarily	O
used	O
for	O
teaching	O
students	O
(	O
with	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
mother-child	O
care	O
)	O
,	O
to	O
provide	O
a	O
'	O
virtual	O
clinic	O
 '	O
to	O
connect	O
local	O
and	O
Archemed	O
doctors	O
in	O
Asmara	O
and	O
the	O
provinces	O
,	O
with	O
hands-on	O
consultations	O
and	O
training	O
in	O
surgery	O
(	O
including	O
cardiac	O
surgery	O
)	O
intensive	O
care	O
,	O
oncology	O
,	O
infectious	O
diseases	O
,	O
etc	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
archiving	O
and	O
sharing	O
medical	O
images	O
for	O
pathology	O
across	O
the	O
organisation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
Satmed	B-Application
platform	O
was	O
deployed	O
at	O
the	O
CURE	O
Hôpital	O
des	O
Enfants	O
au	O
Niger	O
in	O
Niamey	O
,	O
Niger	O
,	O
which	O
specialises	O
in	O
the	O
care	O
of	O
children	O
with	O
surgically	O
correctable	O
conditions	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
70	O
staff	O
each	O
year	O
providing	O
nearly	O
2,000	O
consultations	O
(	O
at	O
the	O
hospital	O
and	O
in	O
mobile	O
clinics	O
)	O
and	O
around	O
700	O
surgeries	O
,	O
with	O
patients	O
from	O
throughout	O
Niger	O
and	O
neighbouring	O
West	O
African	O
countries	O
such	O
as	O
Mali	O
,	O
Nigeria	O
,	O
and	O
Burkina	O
Faso	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Satmed	B-Application
system	O
provides	O
communication	O
between	O
CURE	O
Niger	O
staff	O
and	O
national	O
and	O
international	O
doctors	O
to	O
receive	O
medical	O
counselling	O
,	O
remote	O
diagnosis	O
of	O
patients	O
by	O
experts	O
across	O
the	O
World	O
,	O
online	O
training	O
for	O
doctors	O
and	O
nurses	O
to	O
improve	O
their	O
knowledge	O
,	O
and	O
easy	O
access	O
to	O
necessary	O
information	O
via	O
the	O
internet	O
,	O
enhancing	O
the	O
healthcare	O
provided	O
to	O
rural	O
and	O
remote	O
regions	O
in	O
Niger	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
has	O
been	O
deployed	O
at	O
the	O
Centre	O
as	O
a	O
mobile	O
health	O
information	O
management	O
system	O
to	O
collect	O
and	O
analyse	O
patient	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
initial	O
focus	O
is	O
on	O
using	O
Satmed	B-Application
to	O
support	O
rolling	O
clinics	O
-	O
medical	O
teams	O
visit	O
local	O
villages	O
on	O
a	O
regular	O
basis	O
to	O
treat	O
patients	O
on-site	O
and	O
to	O
offer	O
prevention	O
measures	O
and	O
health	O
monitoring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Portable	O
devices	O
such	O
as	O
tablets	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
collect	O
patient	O
data	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
then	O
processed	O
,	O
aggregated	O
and	O
synchronised	O
on	O
Satmed	B-Application
’s	O
cloud	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
also	O
provides	O
communication	O
with	O
doctors	O
and	O
medical	O
experts	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
via	O
video	O
conferencing	O
,	O
and	O
training	O
of	O
local	O
medical	O
professionals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Satmed	B-Application
's	O
text	O
messaging	O
facility	O
allows	O
doctors	O
to	O
keep	O
tabs	O
on	O
large	O
group	O
of	O
patients	O
living	O
in	O
remote	O
villages	O
whose	O
main	O
form	O
of	O
contact	O
with	O
the	O
outside	O
world	O
is	O
via	O
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
Ebola	O
outbreak	O
in	O
West	O
Africa	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
Satmed	B-Application
,	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
German	O
Doctors	O
brought	O
internet	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
Outpatient	O
Clinic	O
of	O
Serabu	O
Hospital	O
in	O
Bo	O
District	O
in	O
Sierra	O
Leone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Satmed	B-Application
enabled	O
the	O
community	O
to	O
stay	O
in	O
contact	O
with	O
the	O
medical	O
staff	O
,	O
to	O
gather	O
data	O
about	O
the	O
disease	O
spread	O
,	O
to	O
implement	O
prevention	O
measures	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
provide	O
e-learning	O
teaching	O
sessions	O
and	O
remote	O
consultancy	O
.	O
</s>
