Streptococcal skin infections are a common occurrence in high risk groups of children in New Zealand who have considerable trouble accessing health services. Maori and Pasifika children in New Zealand have huge unmet health needs driven by environmental factors and poorly designed health services that make access difficult. If access to health services does occur then appropriate management of these problems is not always delivered by the health teams. Complications of delayed or no treatment of these conditions result in unnecessary pain, time off school and activities and financial and emotional impact on families. In addition to this immune mediated conditions such as Rheumatic Fever and Post Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis can result in catastrophic long term complications.
Severe and all too common complications of untreated streptococcal skin infections include deep infections affecting joints and bones result significant morbidity, cost to the health system and grief to the child and their family.
Dr O'Sullivan has developed a community driven digital health service that serves to bring access to health services to children in their schools and homes. A cloud platform iMOKO aims to provide care to children in seconds and minutes rather than days and weeks.
Dr O'Sullivan is aiming to expand this programme into the Pacific and is excited to be forming partnerships with organisations like NZ's MFAT Cure Kids and international philanthropic organisations to make this happen.
Come along to hear about what the future of healthcare looks like.