Baobab uses Opera in the Fight Against HIV in Malawi

Browser is key element of Linux-based treatment system

Oslo, Norway and Lilongwe, Malawi – March 22, 2007

Opera and Baobab Health Partnership today joined forces to provideinnovative technology solutions to help combat HIV in developingcountries. Baobab, using the Opera browser, has produced a healthcaresystem that allows health workers to administer high quality HIV treatmentprograms according to World Health Organization guidelines. The system iscurrently deployed in Malawi, a country in the midst of an HIV crisis.

“There are 40 million people living with HIV on our planet, we needsolutions, and we need them fast if we are going to have an impact on thiscrisis,” said Gerry Douglas, Founder, Baobab Health Partnership. “UsingOpera means we can rely on international standards like HTML andJavaScript without requiring expensive hardware. By building our systemfor the browser it can be easily scaled up across an entire country, andperhaps an entire continent.”

The Baobab solution is a slimmed-down touchscreen computer running Linuxand Opera. Baobab uses Opera because it conserves limited system resourceswhile being able to run a user interface so simple that people who havenever operated a computer before can use it to provide quality health caretreatment.

“The reason many of us find working in technology so worthwhile is seeingprojects like this become reality,” said HÃ¥kon Wium Lie, CTO, Opera.”We’re excited that Baobab chose Opera to make a difference in the ongoingfight against HIV in Africa. This is a first step towards using Opera topower the projects that promote progress in the developing world.”

About Baobab

Since 2001, Baobab has been building and deploying health care technologythat improves patient care in Malawi. With a small team of mostly Malawianstaff Baobab has innovated a reliable and low cost approach approach thatmatches the needs of it users. Baobab is currently aiming to expand theirHIV treatment system to rural health centers throughout the country. Wecould use your help – visit www.baobabhealth.org for more information.