Pivotal Labs Talks: Using Ruby to Fight AIDS

In August of 2008, Jacqui Maher visited Baobab Health in Lilongwe, Malawi. Baobab is a dedicated group of programmers, clinicians and administrators developing public health and patient data administration systems. They use a variety of hardware and software technologies, but their main applications are written in Ruby on Rails.

This talk will discuss:

• OpenMRS, a framework for open medical record management, currently undergoing international standardization
• Extracting a complex data model into an easy to use RubyGem
• Using Ruby in the third world: why it makes sense to start with the new
• Building an infrastructure and software from the ground up
• Collaboration with a global network of developers using GitHub
• Development and deployment challenges in the third world
• How technology can create a common ground between disparate cultures and groups

Speakers: Jacqui Maher