SciDev.Net

Combining satellite data with mobile phones offers cheap and effective tools for managing fires, says South African scientist Philip Frost.

Mobile phones can improve health services and provide help for displaced patients during political crises, say Richard Lester and Sarah Karanja.

Calestous Juma argues that G8 countries should support provision of cheap, fast Internet access in Africa — particularly to universities.

Greg W. Fegan and Trudie A. Lang urge the use of open-source database systems to increase the scope and variety of clinical trials.

An initiative to bring biomedical research journals free to the developing world is faltering, protest a group of academics in Lima.

Health information must be disseminated using appropriate technologies, say Clifford C. Missen and Thomas M. Cook.

New web applications can benefit the world's poor, argue Waleed al-Shobakky and Jack Imsdahl.

India's IT industry is not as successful as it seems and other countries should think carefully before following suit, writes Athar Osama.

Athar Osama argues that despite big new initiatives, ICT's reputation as a major driver of development is so far undeserved.

World-class success still eludes Pakistan’s IT industry but, says Athar Osama, it can be achieved — if policymakers tackle the big issues.

Balancing market forces with pro-development goals will pave the way for a socially aware and effective ICT industry, argues Gillian M. Marcelle.

The World Summit on the Information Society failed to resolve the main issues on its agenda, but provided great opportunities for sharing ideas, says Amit Jain.

It's time to stop using the poor, and build a media that respects their rights and needs, says Nalaka Gunawardene.

Governments need to actively encourage the sharing of scientific knowledge and expertise if the open access movement is to revolutionise the way science works, says Arthur Carty.

Shuichi Iwata and Robert Chen say scientists must take the lead in showing how free and equal access to knowledge can create a more sustainable world.

Increasing bandwidth available to universities in Africa, in part by reducing its cost, is necessary for them to achieve high standards, writes Steve Song.

Gisele Dodji Dovi says Togo's recent presidential election shows how denying access to information and communication technologies can undermine democratic processes.

Nalaka Gunawardene says that information and communication technologies (ICTs) have a role to play in poverty reduction but they have to be used strategically, as part of a wider development process.

David Eagleman and Alex Holcombe propose a way of using the Internet to widen, and reduce delays in, scientific debate.

Salim S Abdool Karim argues that bridging the information divide between rich and poor nations will require a fundamental rethink of the global knowledge economy.