Global Health Informatics

Driven by the motivation to improve circumstances for vulnerable people and groups, I hope to have the chance, during a DPhil to analyse digital health technologies in use in LMICs with an ethical perspective. I feel the urgent need that ethico-juristic must not be ignored during the hype of the rapidly developing digital health technologies, and I therefore want to use my background in law and public health, and my experiences health informatics and social sciences to contribute with my research to a better balanced and ethical use of digital health technologies in LMICs. During the project field work will be an essential part to answer the research questions. Observational studies and interviews are required (probably in Kenya and Vietnam) to analyse the perception and behaviour of using digital health technologies and the accountability with health data. However, there will be opportunities for engaging with a wider body of researchers in Oxford conducting field work in Kenya based at the Nairobi offices of the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (www.kemri-wellcome.org). Further potential LMICs for this study might be Vietnam, Thailand-Laos, South Africa and Malawi through collaborations of the Ethox Centre at the University of Oxford with the five Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programmes (MOPs).