A new nonprofit group called the World Health Imaging Alliance (WHIA) has launched, with the goal of bringing digital medical imaging technology to the developing world.
The Chicago-based WHIA has partnered with a number of medical imaging vendors to offer digital imaging units and software to developing countries. The alliance hopes to overcome previous barriers to implementation in developing countries that have kept many patients without access to basic imaging technology.
For example, WHIA has cemented a partnership with Carestream Health of Rochester, NY, which has donated a number of Point of Care computed radiography systems for installation at pilot sites. Another partnership is with radiography vendor Sedecal of Madrid, Spain, which has contracted with WHIA to produce a radiography unit that meets standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for operation in the developing world.
Software developer Merge Healthcare of Milwaukee intends to donate $1 million to the WHIA over the next two years. Donations will include staff time, software licensing, and product development assistance for the current and next generation of WHIA software offerings. The company is working on developing a version of its MergeBox product that will encapsulate all of a healthcare site's image management requirements in a single ruggedized box.
WHIA currently has a site established in South Africa and another being implemented in Guatemala. The group is working with Rotary International and local organizations to develop a list of candidate sites interested in receiving its imaging package. In addition, WHIA has established relationships with many global nonprofit organizations involved in providing imaging services.
More information is available by visiting WHIA's Web site.
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