Education, Science and Technology > Information and Communication Technology for Development > Strategic Areas
ICT in Social Development and Poverty Reduction (TeleCenters, Education and Health)
Telecentres for Community Development
The potential of the information and communication technology (ICT) to diminish the digital divide and accelerate economic growth of groups that have traditionally been marginalized will be realized to the degree that local communities gain access to mechanisms that enable them to participate in and benefit from the application of ICT to achieve sustainable social and economic development.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), as well as other multilateral institutions, have supported local communities initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean through technical assistance and financing of a series of events and publications that facilitate the exchange of experiences and relevant information. However, there has been, until recently, only a limited number of initiatives that support immediate and economically feasible access to ICT solutions for small rural or suburban communities.
In this context, telecenters for community development can be an effective institutional solution for responding directly to the local initiatives. This type of solution facilitates, among other things, the creation of local information content; public access to government information, easier access to markets and best practices as well as facilitate commercial transactions between buyers and sellers. Together, these activities contribute significantly to raising incomes in rural communities throughout the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Bank, aware of the needs that rural communities face for addressing development challenges in integrated manner, supports the funding of a Regional Technical Cooperation (ATN/SF-8528RG) to develop rural and suburban telecenters for community development. The telecenters focus on reducing the digital divide and contributing to financial and social sustainability of the community. This project introduces an economic self-sustainable model to operators and future operators of telecenters. It also fosters training programs - virtual and traditional face-to-face in addition to providing mechanisms for community development and integration.
Contact: Mr. Guillermo Castillo, guillermos@iadb.org
Tel. +1-202-623-1797
Education
For the Inter-American Development Bank education is a key in the establishment of conditions for development in the region. The Bank has traditionally been involved in the financing of national education reforms programs as well as in exploring innovative ways to deliver, manage, promote and improve education. Equity, the opportunity for all youngsters to access the educational system, for example, is a permanent concern of the Bank
Information and Communication Technologies play a relevant role in all these objectives. In current days distance education is accepted as an efficient means to reach segments of the population that otherwise would have no access to education. Satellities, the Internet, videos or CD-ROM's, represent a set of alternative resources that property explored can surpass geographical difficultes, and promote equity.
The Bank has been involved in projects of different characteristics: the creation of Information systems for teh management of central authorities of education; to equip and interconnect primary or secondary schools; the training teachers in the use of new technologies and in the application of them for teaching purpose; the development of education software; the formulation of policies and revision of legal parameters, ect.
The following is a sample of our projects:
- Argentina: Programa de Mejoramiento del Sistema Educativo
- Bahamas: Education and Training for Competitiveness
Health
The Inter-American Development Bank has a long history of supporting health projects in the region. The delivery of efficient and high quality health services has guided the actions of the Bank, as an important means to full human development.
Information and Communication Technologies have been incorporated in health projects in a growing manner. In many cases computers modernize central ministries or their regional offices; somethimes databases are created to monitor investments, illnesses data or to generate internationally accepted statictis.
A new health strategy is being discussed in 2005, with a clear emphasis in the application of ICT in Bank,s financed projects.
The Bank also supports large reform programs. They have a strong impact in changing the way health is delivered and managed in countries. And, again, telematics play an important role providing transparency to financial aspects of the sector, standardization of procedures, and easing the exchange of personal health files when appropriate.
Some efforts in more advanced telemedicine are under way. And the Bank has addressed their respective infrastructure and training of human resources.
Last updated: 01/16/07
