Abidjan – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), and the Industrial Promotion Services of West Africa (IPS(WA)) announce a groundbreaking and innovative public-private partnership that will promote telemedicine to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. 

This project will work on prevention, care, and treatment for HIV patients using cutting-edge technology involving internet-connected computers.  This will enable doctors in rural areas to liaise with doctors in larger cities to conduct diagnosis of and treatment for patients who are located in different geographic areas. 

“This project’s support for telemedicine aligns well with the Ivoirian Government's priority to use ICT to address public health challenges and we are excited to work closely with our partners to achieve our shared goals,” observed Alexandre Deprez, USAID/West Africa Mission Director.

The overall project is valued at $500,000 and will target cotton grower communities in Boundiali, in northern Côte d'Ivoire, as well as the District of Abobo, in Abidjan.

Each telemedicine site will be equipped with information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and fully connected to broadband internet.  The sites will be linked to a network of resources in Côte d'Ivoire and abroad - thus improving the quality of life for HIV patients.

“ICT allows us to provide training, medical advice and care to a much greater number of people,” said Ousmane R. Seye, Regional CEO of Aga Khan Foundation, West Africa.

In addition, Mahamadou Sylla, CEO of IPS (WA), said: “By connecting highly trained health professionals with health providers in Abobo and Boundiali, we can transfer essential life-saving knowledge to these areas. We look forward to working with USAID/PEPFAR to achieve this key objective.”