The Pop!Tech Accelerator Announces Breakthrough HIV Initiative

Camden, ME, October 19, 2007 – Pop!Tech (poptech.org), the leading social innovation network and thought-leadership forum, today announced the launch of the first major Pop!Tech Accelerator project. Code-named “Project Masiluleke,” the initiative will develop and deploy a powerful new software tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

The project unites an international team of experts who will design, develop and deploy clinical software for providing HIV education, outreach and antiretroviral (“ARV”) adherence counseling in South Africa. Currently, there is a significant human resources gap in the South African healthcare system around the provision of these services, with profound consequences for the treatment of HIV+ people.

Project Masiluleke (which means “to reach out, give counsel, or rejuvenate oneself” in Zulu) was inspired by a sophisticated ARV adherence support software program created by the University of Connecticut’s Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP). The project will bring together teams from CHIP, iTeach, a tuberculosis and HIV education and care organization based in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa; and Frog Design, the world-renowned strategic and creative consultancy, which is contributing design services to the project. The Pop!Tech Accelerator will provide project management and operational resources, and is seeking additional partnerships and financial and technology support for the initiative.

“Today in some provinces of South Africa, more than 40% of the population is HIV positive, and there simply isn't the capacity to provide sufficient care for all,” said Dr. Dong, founder of iTEACH and an Infectious Disease Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. “We are incredibly excited about the potential impact of Project Masiluleke on the awareness about HIV/AIDS and hope that people will be empowered to get tested and access lifesaving treatment within our own communities,” said Ms. Thabethe, a counselor at iTEACH.

During Phase One of Project Masiluleke, a new software program will be developed to address the specific education, HIV testing and treatment needs of South Africans. The Pop!Tech Accelerator has negotiated a South Africa license from the University of Connecticut for this software, with the intent to broaden the license to all of Africa. During this phase, Frog Design will develop and implement the design strategy and user experience for the project, utilizing user research to translate the software, both culturally and linguistically, for a South African context.

“Our research at CHIP has demonstrated that technology can play a vital role in changing behavior when and where it matters most,” added Dr. Jeffrey Fisher, director and principal investigator of CHIP. “The bottom line is that this program will save lives, and we are thrilled to contribute our expertise.”

“frog is committed to leveraging the power of design to make a positive impact on people’s lives,” said Doreen Lorenzo, president and COO of frog Design. “With Project Masiluleke, we have an incredible opportunity to collaborate with Pop!Tech and its partners to implement design strategy and thinking that will make a tremendous difference.”

“We’re honored to have such renowned partners already on board for this initiative, and look forward to adding more partners in the coming months” said Andrew Zolli, Pop!Tech’s Curator, adding “the Accelerator is dedicated to fostering exactly this kind of unique, multidisciplinary and world-changing collaboration.”

Project Masiluleke was unveiled at the Pop!Tech 2007 conference, held Oct 17-20, 2007 in Camden, Maine. For updates, to contribute or to take action to support the project, please visit poptech.org.

 
About Pop!Tech and the Pop!Tech Accelerator

Pop!Tech is a renowned social innovation network and thought-leadership forum dedicated to accelerating the impact of world-changing people and ideas. The organization is known for its visionary Pop!Tech conferences, engaging media productions, and the innovative social change programs that it fosters worldwide.

The Pop!Tech Accelerator incubates world-changing projects in development, healthcare, energy, education, culture, and the use of technology to achieve transformational outcomes. Learn more at poptech.org.

 
About CHIP

The Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP) is a multidisciplinary research center at the University of Connecticut dedicated to the study of the dynamics of health behavior and processes of health behavior change in individuals and targeted, at-risk populations. CHIP has over 100 affiliates representing multiple scientific disciplines at the University of Connecticut and at other Universities and public health institutions worldwide. Since its inception, CHIP researchers have implemented major theory-based health behavior change initiatives in the areas of HIV prevention, medical adherence, diabetes management, cancer prevention, nutrition, pharmacology, substance abuse, health information technology, and other health domains. CHIP's work has become increasingly international in scope with research projects planned or underway in South Africa, Mozambique, Uganda, China, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Romania, and Nepal.

About iTEACH 

Integration of TB in Education and Care for HIV/AIDS (iTEACH) is a visionary organization based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, established to address urgent challenges to delivery of HIV and TB care and treatment in the public health sector.  Members of the iTEACH core team served on the Advisory Committee to the South African National Antiretroviral (ARV) Task Team, contributed to the drafting of the 2003 Operational Plan for HIV/AIDS Care and Management and were part of the KZN Provincial training team for the ARV launch. Linked to Harvard Medical School and funded through private philanthropy, the iTEACH team operates from a KZN government hospital and works directly with the Department of Health, local political and traditional leaders and community based organizations, designing and implementing HIV-TB training programs and tools for health providers, patients and the community.  Additionally, iTEACH assesses HIV and TB programmatic challenges and pilots new methods of care delivery, which serve as models for replication in other provinces and similar resource limited settings with high HIV/AIDS and TB burden.