Orange joins the mHealth alliance to develop West Africa

Monday, 08 March 2010 17:38  |  Michael Schwartz

In a partnership aimed at advancing mobile technology to improve public health, healthcare systems and patient care in the developing world, Orange has joined the mHealth Alliance to develop mobile health solutions in West Africa.

Orange Healthcare has joined the mHealth Alliance, a partnership which leverages rapid advances in mobile technology in order to improve public health, healthcare systems and patient care in the developing world. Orange Healthcare will begin working with the mHealth Alliance on projects focused in West Africa.

"We welcome this partnership with the mHealth Alliance to explore how we can leverage Orange’s assets and expertise to deliver health solutions in West Africa," said Thierry Zylberberg, Executive Vice-President of Orange Healthcare. "The development of health solutions through mobile devices is revolutionising healthcare delivery in developing countries. Orange Healthcare is already working on projects in Africa that are using mobiles to improve prevention efforts, patient care, treatment support and health data collection. Together, we will explore activities with appropriate local partners to deliver sustainable and scalable mHealth solutions in West Africa."

David Aylward, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance, explained his organisation’s aspirations, "In West Africa and other parts of the developing world, there is still much work to be done to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals for global health, including reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Wireless technologies have an important role to play in delivering health solutions that support these goals, not least extending the reach of health services to populations living in remote areas and where there are shortages of medical professionals."

* The mHealth Alliance was announced by the United Nations Foundation, Vodafone Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation at the February 2009 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and builds off these Foundations’ investments in innovative technologies to support global health goals. It acts as an umbrella organisation to complement, draw together and expand upon the mobile health initiatives of multiple organisations around the world.

** Orange is present in several African countries, offering mobile networks. The Group and its local subsidiaries, alongside non- governmental organisations and health partners, have already started innovative mobile health projects, such as Mobinil and Orange Botswana supporting teledermatology initiatives. Other projects are under consideration in Kenya, Senegal, Burkina-Faso and Mali, and will be developed within the framework of the mHealth Alliance.

more info:

• www.unfoundation.org
• www.orange.com