<\/a><\/li><\/div>
The Global South eHealth Observatory<\/a><\/h4>The Global South eHealth Observatory, a Fondation Pierre Fabre initiative, is designed to identify, document, promote and help develop eHealth initiatives that improve access to quality healthcare and medicines for the most disadvantaged populations in ressource-limited countries. 29\/07\/2025<\/em><\/span><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>See also<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
Creation of the National Digital Health Center<\/a><\/h4>In 2021, Togo\u2019s minister of Health and Public Hygiene asked the Foundation to help it draw up and roll out a national eHealth strategy. The creation of a \u201cNational Digital Health Center\u201d marks an essential step forward in the drive to provide a coherent, sustainable development framework.30\/07\/2025<\/em><\/span><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>Follow our actions<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Expo-Nengo1-700x441.jpg\")
<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>tma25pf<\/a><\/span><\/span>2026-04-03T17:45:36+02:00<\/span>The Nengo Project, an exhibition by Nick Danziger raising awareness of gender-based and sexual violence, in Sarlat<\/a><\/h4>
To mark Women\u2019s Rights Month, the city of Sarlat-la-Can\u00e9da hosted a socially conscious photography exhibition from 7 to 21 March 2026 at the ancien \u00c9v\u00each\u00e9, right in the heart of the city centre. Open to all with free admission, this initiative was a resounding success<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div>
Development of a low-cost, open-source echo stethoscope<\/h1>\n\u2014 Multi-country \u2014<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"D\u00e9veloppement](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/echopen_max_ok.jpg\" "\\"echopen_max_ok\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>For the past few years,\u00a0Fondation Pierre Fabre has been exploring the advantages provided by ICT in the realm of healthcare<\/strong>. In 2012 and 2013, for example, it subsidised the DrepanoMRS application. In 2015, however, the Foundation decided to take a more ambitious step by financing the design and development of an echo stethoscope through the EchOpen project. This initiative is a response to advances in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, which continues to become less bulky and less costly.<\/p>\nEchOpen is working to develop\u00a0an echo-stethoscope sensor prototype that plugs into a smartphone or tablet<\/strong>. This 21st-century stethoscope, simple and extremely portable, would make it possible to obtain real-time ultrasound and Doppler imaging, whatever the exam (gynaecological, vascular, muscle-tendon, breast, cervical, etc.) and to share the results using the Cloud for diagnostic assistance from specialists.<\/p>\nThe unprecedented development of this tool, in Open Source Hardware, is one of its main assets: by rallying the volunteer efforts of a strong scientific community, it could be distributed inexpensively in the South. It would also promote better access to medical imaging and telemedicine, for swifter diagnoses.\u00a0A way to fundamentally change patients referrals and save lives in under-medicalised areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>KEY FACTS<\/span>
\n<\/strong>_____<\/span><\/p>\nPriority<\/strong><\/span>
\nAccess to quality health care<\/span><\/p>\nProgramme<\/strong><\/span>
\nSince 2015<\/span><\/p>\nType of involvement<\/strong><\/span>
\nDistributor and operator<\/span><\/p>\nActions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n- Funding for equipment, human resources and operating costs<\/span><\/li>\n
- Project support in communications and partnerships research<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
EchOpen<\/strong><\/span>
\n1, Parvis Notre-Dame
\nPlace Jean-Paul II
\n75004 Paris
\nhttp:\/\/www.echopen.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/mehdi_benchoufi_3_nb.jpg\" "\\"mehdi_benchoufi_3_nb\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%2775%27%20height%3D%2763%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%2075%2063%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2775%27%20height%3D%2763%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\")
<\/span><\/p>\nEchOpen is a project of global scale: it will improve healthcare in the North and alleviate the difficulties in access to healthcare in the South. Whether in emergency, general, specialty or bush medicine, it will make diagnostic care possible, inexpensively and ubiquitously. With a device that fits in your hand, one that is a hundred times less expensive than conventional ultrasound equipment, caregivers will see the state of the organs and immediately be able to distinguish major, serious, urgent pathologies from those that merit further examination. Furthermore, the open source nature of EchOpen will generate the community-leverage effect needed for it to be widely disseminated. We are now at a tipping point: the next fifteen years should free up technologies in imaging (MRI, scanners, etc.) and biology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nMehdi Benchoufi<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nPresident of the EchOpen Association<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Future initiatives<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>The EchOpen team expects its prototype to be functional by 2016 \u2013 a very symbolic date, as it marks the bicentenary of the Laennec stethoscope. Another milestone: the training of future users of the echo-stethoscope through on-site and e-learning modules.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>PARTNER<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Association EchOpen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
See also<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>- <\/a><\/li><\/div>
The Global South eHealth Observatory<\/a><\/h4>The Global South eHealth Observatory, a Fondation Pierre Fabre initiative, is designed to identify, document, promote and help develop eHealth initiatives that improve access to quality healthcare and medicines for the most disadvantaged populations in ressource-limited countries. 29\/07\/2025<\/em><\/span><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>See also<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n For the past few years,\u00a0Fondation Pierre Fabre has been exploring the advantages provided by ICT in the realm of healthcare<\/strong>. In 2012 and 2013, for example, it subsidised the DrepanoMRS application. In 2015, however, the Foundation decided to take a more ambitious step by financing the design and development of an echo stethoscope through the EchOpen project. This initiative is a response to advances in ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, which continues to become less bulky and less costly.<\/p>\n EchOpen is working to develop\u00a0an echo-stethoscope sensor prototype that plugs into a smartphone or tablet<\/strong>. This 21st-century stethoscope, simple and extremely portable, would make it possible to obtain real-time ultrasound and Doppler imaging, whatever the exam (gynaecological, vascular, muscle-tendon, breast, cervical, etc.) and to share the results using the Cloud for diagnostic assistance from specialists.<\/p>\n The unprecedented development of this tool, in Open Source Hardware, is one of its main assets: by rallying the volunteer efforts of a strong scientific community, it could be distributed inexpensively in the South. It would also promote better access to medical imaging and telemedicine, for swifter diagnoses.\u00a0A way to fundamentally change patients referrals and save lives in under-medicalised areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> KEY FACTS<\/span> Priority<\/strong><\/span> Programme<\/strong><\/span> Type of involvement<\/strong><\/span> Actions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n EchOpen<\/strong><\/span> EchOpen is a project of global scale: it will improve healthcare in the North and alleviate the difficulties in access to healthcare in the South. Whether in emergency, general, specialty or bush medicine, it will make diagnostic care possible, inexpensively and ubiquitously. With a device that fits in your hand, one that is a hundred times less expensive than conventional ultrasound equipment, caregivers will see the state of the organs and immediately be able to distinguish major, serious, urgent pathologies from those that merit further examination. Furthermore, the open source nature of EchOpen will generate the community-leverage effect needed for it to be widely disseminated. We are now at a tipping point: the next fifteen years should free up technologies in imaging (MRI, scanners, etc.) and biology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mehdi Benchoufi<\/span><\/strong><\/span> The EchOpen team expects its prototype to be functional by 2016 \u2013 a very symbolic date, as it marks the bicentenary of the Laennec stethoscope. Another milestone: the training of future users of the echo-stethoscope through on-site and e-learning modules.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n<\/strong>_____<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAccess to quality health care<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSince 2015<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDistributor and operator<\/span><\/p>\n\n
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n1, Parvis Notre-Dame
\nPlace Jean-Paul II
\n75004 Paris
\nhttp:\/\/www.echopen.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/Sans-titre-1-1.png\")
\nPresident of the EchOpen Association<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Future initiatives<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>PARTNER<\/h2>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>See also<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/odess-1.jpg\")
The Global South eHealth Observatory<\/a><\/h4>The Global South eHealth Observatory, a Fondation Pierre Fabre initiative, is designed to identify, document, promote and help develop eHealth initiatives that improve access to quality healthcare and medicines for the most disadvantaged populations in ressource-limited countries. 29\/07\/2025<\/em><\/span><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>See also<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fondationpierrefabre.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/CNSD-Togo.jpg\")
<\/a><\/li><\/div>