Improving healthcare response in Haiti

Improving healthcare response in Haiti Earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes have taken their toll on many parts of the world. Communities struggle for years to rebuild without immediate access to basic necessities like proper healthcare. Satellites are helping to make this transition easier. A new system designed by The Institute for Space Medicine (MEDES) in France and Local Insight Global Impact (LIGI) in Portugal, and supported by ESA through its integrated Applications programme, provides access to healthcare using satellite telephones and satellite navigation. It is designed for regions where trained medical professionals are sparse and where are limited due to the damage caused by a natural disaster. Telephone cables can be blown down, rendering phone networks useless. The system has been used with success in Haiti, where the massive earthquake of 2010 has left its mark.