Helen Keller International Leads Effort to Virtually Connect West Africa

En français

New York, November 2, 2005 – Helen Keller International (HKI) is the lead agency in an “Alliance to Harness Information Technology for Decision-Making and Capacity Building in West Africa.”  The goal of the project is to build the capacity of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and its member states to contribute to the socioeconomic development, health and nutrition of West Africa.  HKI has partnered with the Tulane University Payson Center (TUPC) and WAHO to carry out the project over three years; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has signed an agreement to provide funding for the project.

Communication and information exchange in West Africa has remained fragmented and erratic due to limited and inconsistent – or entirely nonexistent – information communication technology (ICT).  The member states of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) lack not only developed ICT infrastructure, but also a common model for using the health information that is shared successfully.  As a result, the dissemination of health information, best practices and policy recommendations is often severely delayed if not stalled indefinitely.  As evidenced by the spread of diseases such as AIDS and the avian flu, disease knows no boundaries.  Health is not only a local and national issue, but also an international concern that affects the global community.  The flow of people and goods within the ECOWAS zone, contributing to the spread of disease across national borders, has heightened the need for efficient, real-time communication among health authorities.

Ric Plaisance, HKI Director of Information Systems, and Cheick Sidibé, HKI-Africa Regional IT Advisor, introduced the project at the ECOWAS Nutrition Focal Points meeting, which took place from August 23-25 in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. (To read the press release about the meeting >> click here.)  Key objectives of the project are to improve the management of public health and nutrition information; promote critical analysis, documentation and dissemination of regional best practices; enable evidence-based decision making for policy development and resource allocation; and develop human resource capacity, particularly for the prevention of blindness and malnutrition.  To meet these objectives, the project is constructing a virtual network connecting WAHO and ECOWAS health experts, developing technology-assisted decision support toolkits using TUPC’s software, and providing training and technical assistance.

Through the Global Development Alliance, USAID has committed $750,000 to the project, which is expected to require $1.5 million in total funds over the life of the project.  HKI, TUPC and WAHO will contribute the remaining funds.  TUPC reaffirmed its support of the project despite Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans, Louisiana where the center is based.

ECOWAS states are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.