From health care training to overcoming structural barriers: can technology help?

Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are characterised by an acute shortage of trained doctors and nurses, and a strong reliance on community health workers. In this talk, drawing on recent research in urban and rural Kenya, we explore whether mobile technologies can help overcome barriers to health care training, leading to improved provision and delivery of health care services for marginalised populations. Analysing the barriers to care experienced by mothers of children with disabilities, we ask how technology can contribute to the more equitable provision of health care, the challenges of integrating mobiles into existing health care structures and implications for future research agendas.