Teledermatology in Mauritania: photo report

15/04/2024

In Mauritania, healthcare needs in dermatology are tremendous: outside the capital, where most dermatologists work, patients from other regions are seen by general practitioners or nurses. Dermatoses are the third most-common reason for a doctor’s visit, but insufficient training in these conditions leads to incorrect diagnoses and additional treatment costs. As a result, patients may have to travel hundreds of kilometres for initial and follow-up visits.

To compensate for the lack of specialists, teledermatology is a vital solution that optimises available resources, ensuring better coverage for people living in regions without specialists.

This is funded by the Fondation Pierre Fabre and led by Mauritanian Dermatology Society and the Mauritania’s national telemedicine programme, both of which volunteered to replicate the teledermatology model developed in Mali.

Find out more about this programme