ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Soyapi Mumba - Technology innovator
TED Fellow Soyapi Mumba creates technology solutions for low-resource environments.

Why you should listen

As Director of Public Health Informatics at Baobab Health Trust, Soyapi Mumba oversees development of electronic health surveillance and reporting systems for public hospitals in Malawi. Previously, he led the software development of Malawi's national electronic health record system which empowers low-resourced public clinics to serve large volumes of patients while following treatment guidelines and meeting reporting requirements.

Mumba is a TED Fellow and a prize winner of "Share an Idea, Save a Life" national competition for innovations in maternal, newborn and child health. His work has been featured in the book The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa.

Mumba lives in Lilongwe, Malawi, with his wife Miriam and their twin boys. He holds a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Informatics from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from University of Hertfordshire, England.

More profile about the speaker
Soyapi Mumba | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2017

Soyapi Mumba: Medical tech designed to meet Africa's needs

Soyapi Mumba: Tecnologia médica para atender às necessidades da África

Filmed:
1,046,951 views

Na África Subsaariana, os cortes de energia, a pouca entrada de tecnologia e os hospitais com poucos profissionais de saúde comprometem o sistema de saúde. Para resolver esses problemas no Maláui, o Bolsita TED Soyapi Mumba e sua equipe criaram do zero um novo sistema, desde o software que alimenta seus registros de saúde eletrônicos à infraestrutura que o suporta. Nesta palestra curta mas esperançosa, Mumba fala sobre como sua mentalidade de "pau pra toda obra" pode ajudar a reinventar sistemas de saúde de locais carentes de recursos.
- Technology innovator
TED Fellow Soyapi Mumba creates technology solutions for low-resource environments. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Like every passionate
software engineer out there,
0
760
3456
Como todo engenheiro
de software apaixonado,
00:16
I closely follow technology
companies in Silicon Valley,
1
4240
3336
acompanho de perto as empresas
de tecnologia do Vale do Silício,
00:19
pretty much the same way soccer fans
follow their teams in Europe.
2
7600
3120
da mesma forma que fãs de futebol
acompanham seus times na Europa.
(Risos)
00:23
I read articles on tech blogs
3
11640
2216
Leio artigos em blogues de tecnologia
e ouço "podcasts" no meu celular.
00:25
and listen to podcasts on my phone.
4
13880
2120
00:29
But after I finish the article,
5
17080
1816
Depois que termino de ler o artigo,
00:30
lock my phone and unplug the headphones,
6
18920
3336
que desligo o celular
e desplugo os fones de ouvido,
00:34
I'm back in sub-Saharan Africa,
7
22280
2216
estou na África Subsaariana,
onde a paisagem não é exatamente a mesma.
00:36
where the landscape is not quite the same.
8
24520
2440
00:40
We have long and frequent power outages,
9
28160
2640
Temos longos e frequentes
cortes de energia,
00:43
low penetration of computers,
10
31720
2056
baixos níveis de informatização,
00:45
slow internet connections
11
33800
1936
conexão lenta de internet
00:47
and a lot of patients
visiting understaffed hospitals.
12
35760
4256
e diversos pacientes dependendo
de hospitais com pouco pessoal.
00:52
Since the HIV epidemic,
13
40040
2136
Desde a epidemia de HIV,
00:54
hospitals have been struggling
to manage regular HIV treatment records
14
42200
5656
os hospitais têm dificuldades pra manter
registros regulares dos tratamentos de HIV
00:59
for increasing volumes of patients.
15
47880
1840
devido ao número crescente de pacientes.
01:02
For such environments,
16
50720
1736
Em ambientes assim,
01:04
importing technology systems
developed elsewhere has not worked,
17
52480
3896
a importação de sistemas tecnológicos
criados em outros lugares não deu certo.
01:08
but in 2006, I joined Baobab Health,
18
56400
3216
Mas, em 2006, me juntei à Baobab Health,
01:11
a team that uses locally based engineers
19
59640
3536
uma equipe que conta com a ajuda
de engenheiros locais
01:15
to develop suitable interventions
20
63200
2616
para desenvolver soluções viáveis
para desafios na área de saúde no Maláui.
01:17
that are addressing
health care challenges in Malawi.
21
65840
3856
01:21
We designed an electronic
health record system
22
69720
3416
Desenvolvemos um sistema
eletrônico de registro de saúde
01:25
that is used by health care workers
while seeing patients.
23
73160
3336
utilizado por profissionais da área
quando atendem pacientes.
01:28
And in the process we realized that we
not only had to design the software,
24
76520
4576
No processo, percebemos que tínhamos
não só que desenvolver o software,
mas também implementar a infraestrutura.
01:33
we had to implement
the infrastructure as well.
25
81120
2360
01:36
We don't have enough medical staff
26
84640
2216
Não temos muitos profissionais de saúde
para examinar todos os pacientes,
01:38
to comprehensively examine every patient,
27
86880
2856
01:41
so we embedded clinical guidelines
within the software
28
89760
3056
então incluímos orientações
clínicas no software
01:44
to guide nurses and clerks
29
92840
2176
para auxiliar enfermeiros e atendentes
01:47
who assist with handling
some of the workload.
30
95040
2160
que ajudam no dia a dia
com a carga de trabalho.
01:50
Everyone has a birthday,
31
98000
1656
Todos têm uma data de nascimento,
mas nem todos sabem a data exata.
01:51
but not everyone knows their birthday,
32
99680
2496
01:54
so we wrote algorithms
to handle estimated birthdates
33
102200
3816
Então, criamos algoritmos para ler
datas de nascimento aproximadas
01:58
as complete dates.
34
106040
1280
como datas válidas.
02:00
How do we follow up
patients living in slums
35
108200
3936
Como acompanhar pacientes
que vivem em favelas,
02:04
with no street and house numbers?
36
112160
2200
sem nome de rua nem número de casa?
02:07
We used landmarks to approximate
their physical addresses.
37
115200
3880
Usamos pontos de referência
para termos os endereços aproximados.
02:12
Malawi had no IDs
to uniquely identify patients,
38
120040
3440
O Maláui não tinha um sistema
de identificação de pacientes.
02:16
so we had to implement unique patient IDs
39
124480
3136
Então, tivemos que criar
identificações individuais
02:19
to link patient records across clinics.
40
127640
2240
pra correlacionar registros de pacientes
entre os diversos hospitais.
02:22
The IDs are printed as barcodes
41
130919
2441
As identificações são impressas
com código de barras
02:26
on labels that are stuck
on personal health booklets
42
134200
2856
em etiquetas que ficam presas
nas cadernetas de saúde de cada paciente.
02:29
kept by each patient.
43
137080
1200
02:31
With this barcoded ID,
44
139000
1976
Com essa identificação,
02:33
a simple scan with a barcode reader
45
141000
2416
um simples leitor de código de barras
02:35
quickly pulls up the patient's records.
46
143440
2240
rapidamente mostra
os registros do paciente.
02:38
No need to rewrite their personal details
47
146440
2296
Não é preciso reescrever detalhes pessoais
em papel a cada visita do paciente.
02:40
on paper registers at every visit.
48
148760
2416
02:43
And suddenly, queues became shorter.
49
151200
2656
De repente as filas ficaram menores.
02:45
This meant patients, typically mothers
with little children on their backs,
50
153880
4896
Os pacientes, geralmente mães
com filhos pequenos no colo,
02:50
had to spend less time
waiting to be assisted.
51
158800
3136
começaram a passar menos tempo
esperando pra serem atendidos.
02:53
And if they lose their booklets,
52
161960
1936
E, se elas perderem suas cadernetas,
02:55
their records can still be pulled
by searching with their names.
53
163920
3176
seus registros podem ser recuperados
buscando por seus nomes.
02:59
Now, the way we pronounce
and spell names varies tremendously.
54
167120
4720
Bem, a forma como pronunciamos
e escrevemos nomes varia demais.
Misturamos muito o R e o L,
03:04
We freely mix R's and L's,
55
172360
2280
as versões vernácula
e em inglês dos nomes.
03:07
English and vernacular
versions of their names.
56
175080
2840
Até o soundex,
03:10
Even soundex,
57
178680
1416
03:12
a standard method for grouping words
by how similar they sound,
58
180120
4416
um método comum de agrupamento de palavras
pela semelhança de suas pronúncias,
03:16
was not good enough.
59
184560
1576
não foi suficiente.
03:18
So we had to modify it
60
186160
1696
Tivemos que modificá-lo
03:19
to help us link and match
existing records.
61
187880
3800
para conseguirmos conectar
e combinar registros já existentes.
03:26
Before the iPhone,
62
194160
1200
Antes do iPhone,
03:28
software engineers
developed for personal computers,
63
196040
3816
engenheiros de software
desenvolviam para PC,
mas, pela nossa experiência,
03:31
but from our experience,
64
199880
1256
03:33
we knew our power system
is not reliable enough
65
201160
3376
sabíamos que nossa rede de energia
não era confiável para PCs.
03:36
for personal computers.
66
204560
1280
03:38
So we repurposed touch screen
point-of-sale terminals
67
206480
4656
Então, aproveitamos terminais
com telas sensíveis ao toque
03:43
that are meant for retail shops
68
211160
1696
de lojas de departamentos
03:44
to become clinical workstations.
69
212880
1760
e os utilizamos como estações
de trabalho em hospitais.
03:47
At the time, we imported
internet appliances called i-Openers
70
215920
4160
Na época, importamos aplicativos
de internet chamados i-Openers
03:52
that were manufactured
during the dot-com era
71
220960
3016
desenvolvidos durante a era "pontocom"
por uma empresa americana falida.
03:56
by a failed US company.
72
224000
1840
03:59
We modified their screens
73
227080
2296
Modificamos suas telas,
adicionando sensores de toque,
04:01
to add touch sensors
74
229400
1376
04:02
and their power system
to run from rechargeable batteries.
75
230800
3320
e fizemos seus sistemas rodarem
com baterias recarregáveis.
04:06
When we started, we didn't find
a reliable network to transmit data,
76
234680
5136
Quando começamos, não tínhamos uma rede
confiável para transmissão de dados,
04:11
especially from rural hospitals.
77
239840
1640
principalmente de hospitais do interior.
04:14
So we built our own towers,
78
242240
2720
Então, criamos nossas próprias torres,
criamos uma rede sem fio
04:17
created a wireless network
79
245720
1896
04:19
and linked clinics in Lilongwe,
80
247640
2416
e interligamos hospitais em Lilongwe,
a capital do Maláui.
04:22
Malawi's capital.
81
250080
1200
04:24
(Applause)
82
252600
2880
(Aplausos)
04:29
With a team of engineers
83
257600
1600
Com uma equipe de engenheiros
04:32
working within a hospital campus,
84
260200
2296
trabalhando num campus hospitalar,
04:34
we observed health care workers
use the system
85
262520
2656
observamos profissionais de saúde
utilizarem o sistema
04:37
and iteratively
build an information system
86
265200
3216
e repetidas vezes criarem
um sistema de informação
04:40
that is now managing HIV records
87
268440
3816
que agora controla os registros de HIV
04:44
in all major public hospitals in Malawi.
88
272280
3616
em todos os grandes
hospitais públicos do Maláui.
04:47
These are hospitals serving
over 2,000 HIV patients, each clinic.
89
275920
5200
São hospitais que atendem mais
de 2 mil pacientes com HIV, cada.
04:54
Now, health care workers
who used to spend days
90
282680
2856
Agora, os profissionais
de saúde que levavam dias
para computar e preparar
relatórios trimestrais
04:57
to tally and prepare quarterly reports
91
285560
2136
04:59
are producing the same reports
within minutes,
92
287720
2240
estão produzindo os mesmos
relatórios em minutos,
05:02
and health care experts
from all over the world
93
290960
3856
e especialistas em saúde do mundo inteiro
05:06
are now coming to Malawi
to learn how we did it.
94
294840
3040
têm visitado o Maláui
para entender como fizemos isso.
05:10
(Applause)
95
298880
3456
(Aplausos)
05:14
It is inspiring and fun
96
302360
2576
É inspirador e divertido
05:16
to follow technology trends
across the globe,
97
304960
2816
seguir as tendências
tecnológicas mundiais,
05:19
but to make them work
98
307800
2096
mas, para fazê-las funcionar
em ambientes carentes de recursos
05:21
in low-resourced environments
99
309920
2176
05:24
like public hospitals
in sub-Saharan Africa,
100
312120
3176
como hospitais públicos
da África Subsaariana,
05:27
we have had to become jacks-of-all-trades
101
315320
3776
tivemos que nos tornar paus para toda obra
05:31
and build whole systems,
including the infrastructure,
102
319120
3536
e criar sistemas inteiros,
inclusive a infraestrutura, do zero.
05:34
from the ground up.
103
322680
1240
Obrigado.
05:36
Thank you.
104
324560
1216
(Aplausos) (Vivas)
05:37
(Applause)
105
325800
5000
Translated by Leonardo Silva
Reviewed by Raissa Mendes

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Soyapi Mumba - Technology innovator
TED Fellow Soyapi Mumba creates technology solutions for low-resource environments.

Why you should listen

As Director of Public Health Informatics at Baobab Health Trust, Soyapi Mumba oversees development of electronic health surveillance and reporting systems for public hospitals in Malawi. Previously, he led the software development of Malawi's national electronic health record system which empowers low-resourced public clinics to serve large volumes of patients while following treatment guidelines and meeting reporting requirements.

Mumba is a TED Fellow and a prize winner of "Share an Idea, Save a Life" national competition for innovations in maternal, newborn and child health. His work has been featured in the book The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa.

Mumba lives in Lilongwe, Malawi, with his wife Miriam and their twin boys. He holds a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Informatics from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from University of Hertfordshire, England.

More profile about the speaker
Soyapi Mumba | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee