Background:

The fundamental challenge in addressing HIV/AIDS in the global setting is a lack of capacity. Ethiopia, for example, has only 700 trained pharmacists for a population of 75 million. ‘Lack of capacity’ refers not only to issues of human capacity; but also to system or organizational capacity and capacity for effective communication. Given these challenges, there are several places in which collaboration between technology companies and the public sector would be particularly fruitful, such as developing stronger medical records systems or using telecommunications technologies to better manage adherence to antiretroviral drug therapy.

The CCA HIV/AIDS Initiative works with ICT sector companies, African and U.S. governments, donor agencies and other ICT focused organizations to devise ways to engage the skills, products and expertise of information technology leaders to form public-private partnerships against HIV/AIDS.

Forums:

• Technology & HIV/AIDS: A Closed Working Group Session Sponsored by OGAC, ICCR, GBC & CCA
  June 27, 2006 Washington, DC The objective of the June 2006 working group session was to engage leading information technology companies in the fight against HIV/AIDS through application of IT sector skills, products and expertise. A second working group meeting will be held on Oct 3 & 4 in Santa Clara, CA
  
  Executive Summary of June 2006 Working Group Session
  
  

• 2005 CCA Summit Workshop: Applied Technologies and African Healthcare: New and Expanding Markets Sponsored by Jean-Raymond Boulle Corporation This workshop focuses on the role of applied information and communication technologies in African healthcare delivery. Panelists’ presentations will illustrate the potential for applied technology to improve healthcare delivery and expand health services while creating new and expanded markets for IT and communication technology.
  

• March 2005 Applied Technology Forum On March 9, 2005, the CCA HIV/AIDS Initiative, in collaboration with VOXIVA, BroadReach Healthcare, Development Gateway Foundation and Bridges.org, convened a meeting of CCA members, partners and invited guests representing the communications and the digital and information technology industries to discuss the creation of new markets, the expansion of current markets, and innovative applications for existing technologies for healthcare delivery in Africa.

Resources:

Links to pilot projects, discussion forums, toolkits, and companies and organizations doing work in this field.

 

Please contact Caroline Hope, HIV/AIDS Program Manager, Corporate Council on Africa for more information or to get involved with this initiative.