Press Release

OPEC Fund supports eLearning on health for the public in the Gambia and Ghana with US$500,000 grant

105/2005 September 20, 2005, Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development today approved a grant of US$500,000 to co-finance with the Health Academy, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) aimed at bringing health information within reach of the urban and rural population in The Gambia and Ghana for preventing diseases and leading healthier lifestyles.

Originally launched in December 2003, the Health Academy is an on-line learning tool that teaches a wide range of health topics, such as hygiene, food safety and prevention of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. The project has been an unmitigated success: pilot eLearning schemes in 46 schools in Egypt and Jordan have been carried out, and other countries across the world are preparing to integrate the courses into their school systems. The Fund grant will support eLearning on health in The Gambia and Ghana, countries that share similar development and public health challenges. The goal is to devise a model that can gradually be carried over to other sub-Saharan countries.

WHO will form a National Health Academy Committee in each country, comprising high-level representatives from the Ministries of Health, Education and Telecommunication, together with the International Telecommunication Union. The Committee, in conjunction with WHO and national experts, will be responsible for developing and designing 12 eLearning courses per country and tailoring them to meet specific needs. Ten schools each in The Gambia and Ghana will be selected for implementation.

Additionally, health education will be incorporated into school curricula. Mentor training for principals and teachers of participating schools will also be organized and regular feedback provided to the Committee throughout the project’s implementation. On the basis of the scheme’s success, an awareness campaign will make the coursework available to the general public via universities, libraries, Internet cafes, hospitals, health clinics, community centers and other available outlets.

The Fund grant will be divided equally between each beneficiary country and will specifically co-finance the development and production of 24 eLearning courses.