It is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population is currently without access to X-ray.  X-ray is an essential aspect to primary care and is used in the critical diagnosis and management of trauma, Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, HIV, cancer and other respiratory and abdominal ailments.  In the past, there have been attempts made to bring digital X-ray to the developing world but most have been unsuccessful in meeting these areas unique needs.  More than two decades ago, the World Health Organization sought to address the issue of high X-ray equipment costs by developing specifications for an inexpensive X-ray system. This approach resulted in the World Health Imaging System for Radiography (WHIS-RAD). WHIS-RAD lowered equipment costs and provides a safe, reliable, simple X-ray system that enables high quality images to be produced by health care professionals with limited imaging experience. The current system relies on film / screen imaging and therefore there are costs and maintenance associated with film, chemicals and film processing operations.

WHIS-RAD has not achieved its potential for a number of reasons: lack of advocacy, no central funding, no sustainable support for training, lack of maintenance and service, difficulties of film-based clinical consultation, and a misperception of the costs of the system. This is further complicated by differing priorities among ministries of health and large funding organizations.  It became clear that there was a need for an organization to not only facilitate the deployment of systems but address issues of sustainability.  That organization is the World Health Imaging, Telemedicine & Informatics Alliance (WHITIA).

In 2005, representatives of WHO and Rotary met to explore the possibility of retrofitting existing WHIS-RAD installations made by Rotary with digital capability. In 2006, Rotary initiated a student project that charged a team of Northwestern University biomedical engineering students to evaluate the benefits and methods of digitizing the current WHIS-RAD system.  This study concluded that a digital radiography solution would improve primary care if supported by a sustainable business model.  This model would re-engineer commercial technology to meet the needs of the developing world as well as incorporate a more modern and advanced imaging solution.  Through this initiative, the World Health Imaging, Telemedicine & Informatics Alliance (WHITIA) emerged.   WHITIA has adopted the challenge of integrating the necessary technologies so that imaging solutions can be provided and supported as a system.  Our organization embraces the challenge of incorporating the many aspects that make a sustainable solution.  WHITIA’s priority is to ensure we are delivering a system that provides digital X-ray and telemedicine services in a sustainable manner as well as integrating next generation functionality to our sites.