ECHOSENS: COMMITMENTS FOR SOCIALLY AWARE HEATH CARE

Solidarity

EchoSens defines itself as a socially aware company, by being an active actor in the education and social domains, as much at the local level as the international level.

Active in the domain of education

In Brazil in association with INSERM

EchoSens collaborates with the Inserm to put in place screening programmes in Brazil. The objective is to follow the evolution in the health of patients affected by bilharzia and to inform the local population of the dangers of the parasite.

• In the Nordeste region of Brazil, a zone where access to treatment is difficult, 80% of the population is affected by bilharzia.

In Burkina, in collaboration with the Ouagadougou hospital.

EchoSens supports the University Hospital Centre of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina, in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis among the local population where the incidence of hepatic illnesses is high (viral hepatitis B and C, parasitosis such as bilharzia, co-infections by HIV).

• In the Nordeste region of Brazil,this pilot study, carried out in partnership with the service of Tropical and Infectious Illnesses of the Tenon hospital (20th district of Paris), under the supervision of Professor Pialoux and Dr Bonnard, will serve as a basis of a much bigger study which will be proposed to the ANRS (National Agency of Research against AIDS and Viral Hepatitis).

In France with the examining centre of the CPAM.

Since September 2005, EchoSens helps the Examining Centre of the CPAM of Seine-Saint-Denis, directed by Dr Hervé Le Clésiau, to carry out a study of advanced fibrosis screening among social security beneficiaries.

• The CPAM proposes free diagnosis using FibroScan ® for each beneficiary during their regular health check.

Socially active

In France, in centres specialised in treating drug addicts (CSST)

EchoSens regularly provides FibroScan ® for the diagnosis of fibrosis among fragile populations and notably drug addicts. These examinations have allowed severe liver illnesses to be diagnosed and to convince certain patients to treat their viral hepatitis.

• These partnerships have been carried out in the framework of World Hepatitis Day (WHD) in collaboration with the World Hepatitis Alliance association. A study has been conducted by the Centre for Study and Information on Drugs and the Hospital “La Case” of the association of Doctors of the world in Bordeaux.

In France, in prison environments

EchoSens participates in selective hepatic fibrosis diagnosis operations in French prisons (Les Baumettes in Marseille, Fleury-Merogis, Perpignon, Grenoble, etc.)

• The examination carried out by FibroScan ® offers the advantage that it can be used in prisons in contrast with hepatic biopsies which require a medical act outside of the prison environment.