Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016 139 Chapter 5 Box 5.5: Bhutan Epilepsy Project In the deep, remote valleys of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a small country in South Asia bordered by China, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, a boy pulls onto his head a plastic headset that looks like a shower cap. This is how the boy will be diagnosed with epilepsy, using fast-growing mobile health technology to bring improved medical care to under-served parts of the world. The readings will be taken through the headset using a new cellphone application. Just how under- served is Bhutan? It does not have a single neurologist, nor does it have any technology to diagnose epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders (and one easily treated with medication). With a population of 730,000, Bhutan faces a high burden of epilepsy (estimated at 1 out of 1 000 people). Most Bhutanese live in rural, mountainous villages, preventing them from receiving trained help for seizure disorders.What are the telecom statistics in Bhutan like? Despite living in rural areas, the Bhutanese are extremely well connected. More than 90 per cent own a cell phone, making the country an ideal setting for the Bhutan Epilepsy Project. It is analyzing the mobile electroencephalography, or EEG, of patients rather than the stationary EEG technology, which is the standard epilepsy diagnostic tool in American hospitals.The long-term goal of the project is to train the Bhutanese research coordinators to become more skilled at employing EEGs themselves. Another goal is to encourage the Bhutanese to communicate with hospitals and health facilities in other places through the use of simple text and personalized messaging.Source: The Boston Globe, May 22, 201565 Stakeholders Government Hardware and software vendors Project funders Medical doctors Neurologists Community workers / educators etc.Programmers Child rights activists Parents/Guardians (for minors and patients who lack capacity)ICT Ministries / regulators Ministries handling social services ITU UNICEF Application developers Media Mobile Network Operators M-Health project team Health care professionals and associations Psychiatrists Nurses Data Readers NGOs Patients Regulatory authorities Healthcare Ministries / regulators UN Specialized bodies WHO UNESCO Developers of healthcare related content Others Source: M-Powering Development Initiative Report 2015 at page 466.