Affordable emergency medical response in Kenya
AMBULEX SOLUTIONS LTD
The Ambulex innovation is set to benefit over 10 million families in Kenya with its low-cost and high-impact design. Notably, Kenya lacks a national emergency medical response service by the government, and despite the National Health Insurance Fund having over 7 million members for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), emergency medical services are not included. Ambulex monitors successful evacuations, providing income opportunities for over 100 EMTs in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, with plans to increase this number to more than 500 in the next 5 years.
In Kenya, limited access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a significant healthcare concern, especially for underserved communities. The absence of public EMS providers places the burden on citizens, with only those who can afford quality services receiving assistance. To address this issue, Ambulex has reduced access costs to $1 per family per month through a subscription model, making it more accessible to families facing financial barriers. Ambulex has deployed EMTs within communities who use a mobile app to respond promptly to emergencies, collaborating with motorbike riders for easy access into underserved areas. The primary focus is on stabilizing patients and assessing the need for hospital transfer.
Affordable plant-made proteins for pharmaceutical reagents
CAPE BIO PHARMS
The company specializes in affordable plant-made proteins as their unique selling proposition. They utilize a distant relative of the tobacco plant, Nicotiana benthamiana, in a transient expression process to produce complex pharmaceutical proteins. This platform offers scalability, flexibility, and safety advantages, while eliminating the risk of animal pathogen transfer. With significantly lower costs compared to traditional expression platforms, their plant-made technology provides cost savings and aims to make pharmaceutical reagents more accessible to life scientists, diagnostic manufacturers, and potentially vaccine and therapeutic treatments.
The key strength of their system is superior economics, with upstream costs less than 50% of traditional platforms. By manufacturing in South African Rands and selling in US dollars, the company maintains highly competitive margins. This pricing advantage allows them to pass on cost savings, making pharmaceutical reagents more affordable and accessible to a broader customer base, including life scientists and diagnostic manufacturers, ultimately benefiting the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
AI telemedicine for disabled women
CHIL AI LAB
Chil is an innovative company addressing the accessibility challenges faced by women with disabilities in obtaining chronic disease care. They offer an artificial intelligence-powered telemedicine service designed specifically for the disabled. Through voice prompts and sign language translation, Chil enables visually impaired individuals to access healthcare services and facilitates communication between doctors and patients who are unable to speak.
Additionally, Chil's unique femtech center provides AI-powered radiology report interpretation, streamlining the analysis process for patients by allowing them to upload photos of their reports. With Chil's inclusive approach and cutting-edge technology, women with disabilities can now receive the care they need more easily.
Chil AI Lab have reached 88,130 women and aim to reach 150,000 beneficiaries by the end of 2024. Additionally, they've engaged 10,000 children from 117 schools across Tanzania and Uganda, with a target of 100,000 children accessing their services by 2025.
Personalized last mile care through automation and advanced tech
FAMASI AFRICA
Famasi provides personalized last-mile care, addressing challenges through three key differentiators: personalization, a provider ecosystem, and advanced technology. Their approach involves automating follow-ups and refills, establishing a network of healthcare providers, and developing innovative tools to deliver convenient and tailored healthcare for both patients and providers.
They are developing a suite of products, such as RefillOS, PrescribeOS, and APIs, that integrate with different audience categories. These tools enable Famasi to offer truly personalized healthcare at scale, meeting the needs of both patients and providers.
AI-powered pneumonia screening for accurate diagnostics
MAMAOPE MEDICALS
The MamaOpe device revolutionizes pneumonia screening with its automated monitoring of respiratory rate and lung sounds using artificial intelligence. It complements healthcare worker expertise by providing a non-invasive and affordable diagnostic tool that enhances the accuracy of pneumonia diagnosis. The device analyzes measures such as breathing rate, lung sounds, chest-in-drawing, and body temperature, offering instant feedback and following WHO IMCI guidelines for precise diagnoses.
Using acoustic sensors placed strategically on the chest, the MamaOpe device measures breathing rate and lung sounds, applying machine learning algorithms to diagnose pneumonia. Green lights indicate normal conditions within the WHO normal range, while red lights indicate abnormalities in lung sounds or breathing rate. By combining its measurements with other clinical signs, the device aids healthcare providers in making informed decisions, initiating treatment promptly, and contributing to global efforts in reducing pneumonia-related mortality.
Fintech for healthcare savings
PELEYTA HEALTH
Peleyta Health operate as a flexible, affordable, and convenient fintech, dedicated to assisting uninsured low-income earners in preparing for and affording quality healthcare, accessible anywhere and at all times through their innovative digital healthcare micro-savings and lending platform.
Addressing a significant and pressing issue, they focus on tackling inadequate access to healthcare financing. Notably, Uganda stands as the only country in East Africa without a National Healthcare Insurance scheme, leaving over 40 million Ugandans unprepared to meet sudden medical expenses, underscoring the critical need for their solution.
