EMpowering People living with NCDs* and frOntline health Workers and levERaging digital health technology, to tackle the burden of chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Primary care providers in low-and-middle income countries often lack sufficient training and resources to effectively diagnose and manage NCDs. Health centres and information systems in these countries are not adequately organised to ensure the continuity of care. Consequently, treatment gaps, defined as the proportion of individuals with a disease who are not treated are alarmingly high, reaching 80% for hypertension in Benin (STEPS, 2016), for instance.
The 4-year EMPOWER project aims to reduce the NCDs’ burden in Benin and Togo by narrowing treatment gaps through interventions previously validated in Southeast Asia. The project will leverage community health workers, nurses, and general practitioners, by training them in evidence-based NCD management strategies and equipping them with an android-based application. This application will streamline the collection of key indicators for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of NCDs, while enhancing communication among healthcare providers.
Coordinated by University of Limoges (France), EMPOWER is a partnership between University of Abomey Calavi (Benin), University of Lomé (Togo), World Francophone Digital University (France), Luxembourg Institute of Health (Luxembourg), University of Catania (Italy) and Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Switzerland).