The Economics of Software Development for Global Health

Much of the digital practice in Global Health is dominated by single use, bespoke software solutions. These are often branded and marketed as ‘platforms’. The proliferation of these ‘solutions’ has led to the creation of single use software packages that do not scale outside of a single geography and/or disease area. When they do, they need to be completed rebuilt from the ground up. Technologies that run on these solutions then need to be reconfigured costing considerable amounts and requiring considerable time and expertise.