[SC.LUG] Fw: [lugmaster] Ubuntu used in the fight against AIDS

[Richard Smedley]

In light of the earlier post, a good example of Free Software helping 
an organisation where it counts...

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Begin forwarded message:

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 06:40:11
Subject: [lugmaster] Ubuntu used in the fight against AIDS


Morning all,

For those of you who don't subscribe to the ubuntu fridge RSS feed, I
found this in my inbox this morning:

http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/820

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iDart, or the intelligent Dispensing of Antiretroviral Treatment, is a
pharmacy system written in Java that is used at antiretroviral (ARV)
pharmacies. Initiated in 2004 as a partnership between Cell-Life and
the Desmond Tutu HIV foundation, iDart is in use as five different
locations around South Africa aiding in the treatment of over 8,500
HIV+ patients.

Cell-Life announced that it has created an iDart-in-a-box system which
was originally implemented and distributed as software for Microsoft
Windows. Due to issues with reliability and security, Cell-Life has
decided instead to do a complete system utilizing Ubuntu Linux. The
iDart-in-a-box includes a mid-range PC, a Zebra label printer, an HP
DeskJet report printer, barcode scanner, a UPS and a GSM modem. The
cost for this system lies within the hardware as there are no software
licensing costs, and one of these systems can be purchased for
approximately R10,000 (1,350 US$)

Cell-Life plans to further its commitment to supplying community
health clinics with systems that work, all of the time, and with Ubuntu

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I think the key phrase here is "[the] iDart-in-a-box system which was
originally implemented and distributed as software for Microsoft
Windows. Due to issues with reliability and security, Cell-Life has
decided instead to do a complete system utilizing Ubuntu Linux."

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