Use of ICTS for socio-economic development of marginalised communities in rural areas: Proposals for establishment of sectoral Rural Entrepreneurial Networks

Abstract

Information, Communication, Technology and Services (ICTS) is increasingly being used in various fields that include agriculture, education, medicine, tourism and business. However, due to challenges caused by the digital divide and other factors, the use of ICTS and its contribution to socio-economic development is generally more intense in developed countries than in developing countries, and also more in urban areas than in rural areas. This article gives an overview of ICTS, the extent of its adoption in different fields, factors that hinder ICTS driven socio-economic development in developing countries and rural areas, and various possible ways of maximizing potential benefits that marginalised communities can derive from the limited ICTS that is accessible to them.
 Keywords: ICTS, development, marginalised, rural, networks

Virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa: a systematic review

“…Teleneurology involves the provision of information and care to patients suffering from neurological disorders such as stroke especially in rural areas where health facilities and personnel are lacking. 94 The number of neurologists who use teleneurology has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. 95 Most neurological disorders are found in low-and-middle-income countries.…”

“…Additionally, around 60% of people in rural areas of South Africa have no access to electricity. 94 This cast in doubt the ability of people in the rural areas of South Africa to afford the necessary infrastructure that is requisite for teleneurology. However, nowadays, most people have access to the internet through their mobile phones.…”