U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Joins mHealth Alliance

Washington, DC (Vocus/PRWEB ) October 31, 2009 -- The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment ever by any nation to combat a single disease, is joining the mHealth Alliance as a founding partner. The partnership was announced by Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, who oversees implementation of PEPFAR, in a keynote address he delivered to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health mHealth Summit conference in Washington, D.C.

"In Africa and around the world, the increasing ubiquity of mobile devices presents an important opportunity to deliver efficiently and rapidly a suite of HIV/AIDS health services, from education and awareness to remote data collection and monitoring, communication and training for health care workers, disease tracking, and diagnostic treatment and support," Goosby said. "We are delighted to join the UN Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Vodafone Foundation in growing the mHealth Alliance. Our collaboration will leverage the tremendous potential of wireless devices and networks to strengthen prevention and health care, improving patient outcomes."

Dr. Daniel Carucci, Vice President for Global Health at the United Nations Foundation, noted: "This is the latest in a series of strong collaborations between the UN Foundation and PEPFAR. We are already strongly engaged with PEPFAR in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and in our active Women & Population program dedicated to empowering women and girls." 

"The promise of mHealth to extend quality health care to the further reaches of wireless communication can only be delivered with the right partners working together on the ground," said David Aylward, mHealth Alliance Executive Director. "We are delighted to welcome PEPFAR and its network of host country participants to the mHealth Alliance. We look forward to sharing our respective strengths, experiences, methodologies, and resources, to deliver more health for the money, and better health."

PEPFAR's support will expand the overall Alliance program. It will also strengthen country HIV/AIDS programs by introducing mobile technology-enhanced solutions in select host countries, and sharing best practices, including the experiences of the PEPFAR's Phones for Health public-private partnership.

The mHealth Alliance was launched to accelerate and build cross-sector collaboration in delivering on the promise of mobile technology to help meet some of the gravest global health challenges, including reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS. In addition to cooperative field projects, initial areas of broader Alliance activity include identifying barriers to mHealth deployment, best practices and effective policy frameworks to allow mHealth to contribute to long-term, sustainable and improved health outcomes, and building private sector engagement to reduce the cost and increase the reach and value proposition of mHealth.

About PEPFAR:
The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was launched in 2003 to combat global HIV/AIDS, and is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. Under PEPFAR, the U.S. Government has already committed more than $25 billion to the fight against global HIV/AIDS. As of September 30, 2008, PEPFAR supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 2.1 million men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, compassionate care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV/AIDS, including more than 4 million orphans and vulnerable children, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs that allowed nearly 240,000 babies to be born HIV-free. For more information, please visit www.PEPFAR.gov, http://twitter.com/uspepfar, or www.facebook.com/PEPFAR.

About the mHealth Alliance:
The mHealth Alliance is dedicated to enabling the delivery of quality healthcare to the farthest reaches of wireless networks in the developing world. Created by the United Nations Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Vodafone Foundation, the Alliance's mission is to be a catalyst and accelerant, supporting leaders, celebrating successes, creating hard research, filling gaps, making connections, and forging public-private partnerships. More information is available at www.mhealthalliance.org or info (AT) mhealthalliance (DOT) org.

Press Contact:
Adele Waugaman
United Nations Foundation
(o) 202-887-9040, (e) awaugaman (AT) unfoundation (DOT) org

Jennifer Peterson
Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator
(o) 202-663-2708, (e) PetersonJL (AT) state (DOT) gov

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