The GSMA, in co-operation with the Qtel Group and Qualcomm Incorporated, today launched the GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge 2011\/12, a global competition that highlights key mobile health initiatives taking place within the university community and showcases them on a global stage at the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit 2012, which will be held in at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa from May 29 to June 1, 2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cPressures on the health services around the world are growing and mobile is seen as a channel to deliver a future of new innovative healthcare solutions,\u201d said Dr Craig Friderichs, Director of Health, GSMA. \u201cMany new developments in this area are coming out of the academic community and the GSMA, with its partners, wants to foster and stimulate this fresh thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the challenge, teams of university students will be asked to develop a mobile health concept that will address a specific healthcare need; these concepts could take the form of a business concept or a technology development. The teams will compete to reach the challenge finals, which will be hosted at the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit in Cape Town on May 29, 2012.<\/p>\n
Two members of the top 10 teams will be invited, expenses paid, to attend the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit and present their entries to a judging panel comprised of venture capitalists, major industry players and thought leaders in the mobile and heath ecosystem. The winning team will be awarded up to $5,000 worth of training and mentoring towards the future development of their innovation. The teams are challenged and encouraged to use their originality and creativity to create a compelling solution with a focus on several criteria:<\/p>\n
‘The Qtel Group is proud to sponsor the GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge and as a supporter of the development of m-Health eco-systems for the regions of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, this competition is in-line with our overall mHealth strategy,\u201d said Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO, the Qtel Group. \u201cWe aim to support innovative best practices for deploying and implementing wireless technologies and communication systems to enable access to healthcare and health-related applications and information. In particular, we are working to support initiatives that provide hard-to-reach populations with actionable public health, and which support educational development around healthcare issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQualcomm Labs is committed to helping companies in the medical device, pharmaceutical and life services industries to innovate and develop new connected health solutions,\u201d said Rick Valencia, vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Wireless Health. \u201cAs part of that commitment, we are very pleased to participate in the global Mobile Health University Challenge, which assembles the brightest minds from top universities to create and develop mobile health business concepts, applications and devices that address real health care needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The GSMA also announced that the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit will again be held in Cape Town, South Africa from May 29 to June 1. This premier event will bring together the key stakeholders in the mobile health world, from leaders in government, private sector and industry, to developers and implementers working on the ground, to further the understanding and to support the improvement of health outcomes and well-being.<\/p>\n
The Summit will again include a thought leadership conference programme addressing a wide range of topics and an exhibition showcase of cutting-edge mobile health solutions, as well as business development opportunities for key executives from across the mobile and health-related industries. The event attracts a wide range of stakeholders including mobile operators, insurance groups, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, research centres, equipment manufacturers, infrastructure vendors, application developers and integrators from around the world.<\/p>\n
The conference and exhibition will be held on May 30 – 31, with many additional solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/regulatory-environment\/mobile-energy-efficiencytings, working groups and other sessions taking place on May 29 and June 1. Information about the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit can be found at\u00a0http:\/\/mobilehealthsummit.com\/event\/2012_preview.shtml<\/a>. For more information on the GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge, please visithttp:\/\/bmic.org\/gsmamobilehealthchallenge\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world\u2019s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the\u00a0Mobile World Congress<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Mobile Asia Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at\u00a0www.mobileworldlive.com<\/a>\u00a0or the GSMA corporate website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.gsmworld.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mHealth Alliance champions the use of mobile technologies to improve health throughout the world. Working with diverse partners to integrate mHealth into multiple sectors, the Alliance serves as a convener for the mHealth community to overcome common challenges by sharing tools, knowledge, experience, and lessons learned. The mHealth Alliance advocates for more and better quality research and evaluation to advance the evidence base; seeks to build capacity among health and industry decision-makers, managers, and practitioners; promotes sustainable business models; and supports systems integration by advocating for standardization and interoperability of mHealth platforms. The mHealth Alliance also hosts HUB (Health Unbound), a global online community for resource sharing and collaborative solution generation. Hosted by the United Nations Foundation, and founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, and UN Foundation, the Alliance now also includes PEPFAR, HP, the GSM Association, and NORAD among its founding partners. For more information, visit http:\/\/www.mhealthalliance.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Information about the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit can be found at www.mobilehealthsummit.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n For further information, please contact:<\/p>\n GSMA:About the GSMA<\/h3>\n
About the mHealth Alliance<\/h3>\n
\nAbigail Faylor: +44 (0)2070 670 851
\nafaylor@webershandwick.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0press@gsm.org<\/a><\/p>\n