Project ECHO 2024 Annual Report

Africa
Meeting the Most Critical Community Needs

With a newly appointed Africa director and her Nairobi-based team, Dr. Caroline Kisia is shepherding the expansion of ECHO programming and strategic partnerships. This growth is bolstered by regional Superhub teams in Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia, who train and support new ECHO partners.

Now in seven countries, the Telementoring, Equity and Advocacy Collaboration for Health through Antimicrobial Stewardship initiative expanded to Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia with new programs to curb antimicrobial resistance.

With the outbreak of mpox, regional partners—the World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others—leveraged their ECHO networks to launch emergency digital learning sessions designed to disseminate urgent guidance. Similarly, the recently established Rwanda Infection Prevention and Control ECHO Program leveraged their network to address the Marburg virus outbreak.

Across the continent, 20 ministries of health are deepening their work with ECHO. Many have expanded their reach beyond infectious diseases to noncommunicable ones, such as cancer and diabetes. And, Nigeria recently cut a new path, launching Africa’s first ECHO for Education program.

Africa’s First K-12 ECHO Education Program

In 2024, Nigeria held the first education-focused ECHO sessions in Africa.
Overcoming challenges, including limited data access, educators focused on sustainable school leadership, leveraging low-data technology, and new tools to build engaging lessons plans.

The Nigerian Education ECHO program is a testament to the power of ECHO’s human network. Its success can be attributed, in part, to the 30 successful ECHO health programs already taking place in Nigeria as well as a connection with Nigerian students at Oklahoma State University.

Cote d’Ivoire: An ECHO Catalyst in Francophone Africa

The National Public Health Institute (INSP) was a trailblazer for the ECHO Model in 2016, when it first launched programs for HIV and cervical cancer.

But, when the Ministry of Health needed to quickly train health providers on HIV diagnosis and treatment in 2019, ECHO became a valuable tool.

Today, INSP is an ECHO Superhub and recognized partner of Cote d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Health. They are focused on supporting the spread of the ECHO Model throughout francophone Africa.

The Power of the ECHO Model for Emergency Response and Public Health

The ECHO SuperHub at Zambia’s Ministry of Health has established partnerships across Africa fighting for better care for cancer, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases and, now, coordinated regional emergency response efforts.

Today, the Zambian Ministry of Health is reaching across borders through its Southern African Regional ECHO Program, bringing together partners in five countries in a concerted effort to prevent public health crises and be able to rapidly scale in response to emergencies.

Partner Testimonial

Dr. Mavis Sakyi, MPH

Senior Medical Officer, Ministry of Health Ghana, Ghana TEACH Antimicrobial Stewardship ECHO Program

All cadres of health professionals, even those in the peri-urban and rural [areas of] Ghana can join in a biweekly, practical, case-based engagement. Together, we have been learning how to push against antimicrobial resistance and be better anti-microbial stewards. For us, in Ghana, I can say it’s been revolutionary.