Episode 6 · Eswatini

Impactful digital health transformation through a clear vision and values: insights from Eswatini

Echo Vanderwal · Executive Director, The Luke Commission

Aug 2024

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Impactful digital health transformation through a clear vision and values: insights from Eswatini

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About this episode

What can a tiny country enveloped by South Africa teach the world about digital health done right? Echo Vanderwal shares how The Luke Commission built healthcare for those who needed it most - from telehealth hubs in shipping containers and drone delivery of antivenom, to a bespoke clinician-centred EHR - all anchored in clear values and a vision of what great care actually looks like.

Last Mile Implementation Community Health Innovation Leadership

“When you walk with the people, you learn the challenges intimately.”
Echo Vanderwal

What we cover

01Telehealth hubs built from shipping containers with video access to doctors and secure medication vending, enabled by Starlink
02Drone delivery of critical medications including antivenom for Black mamba envenomation - and the lives it has saved
03Building a bespoke clinician-centred EHR and admin tool with the fastest possible feedback loops
04Creating a culture of compassionate patient care and the values that guided decision-making through challenging times
05Using the end goal of great healthcare to decide where digital can genuinely help
06Working proactively with the Civil Aviation Authority to safely establish a high-quality drone service - a lesson for regulators and developers everywhere

About the guest

Echo Vanderwal

Executive Director, The Luke Commission

Echo Vanderwal is a visionary leader in global health who has spearheaded innovative health and development solutions to serve isolated and underserved patients. Under her leadership, The Luke Commission (TLC) has delivered comprehensive healthcare services through more than 1.5 million patient visits in Eswatini since 2005. TLC's Miracle Campus, in the centre of Eswatini, includes a national referral hospital providing primary to tertiary care, Africa's largest PSA oxygen plant, a world-class snakebite treatment unit, and the globally recognised Training and Leadership Center of Excellence for deepening and extending a culture of compassionate care.

Echo's passionate advocacy for equitable healthcare access has led to TLC's international recognition for addressing systemic challenges throughout the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to aligning technology with community continues to shape public health, with plans to scale TLC's impact globally through strategic collaborations and scalable innovations.

Transcript

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