By Benjamin Omoike, Lagos
Sanofi, a bio-pharmaceutical company, has announced five winners in the finals of AfricaTech Healthcare Challenges 2020. The finals held online on Thursday, June 11 and saw Mob-ihealth International, a Nigerian startup and tele-health platform, emerge as winner in its category of challenge.
The challenge on ‘How to help healthcare systems leapfrog from manual to smart logistics solutions at point of care’ was aced by Mobihealth International which is Africa’s first fully integrated telehealth electronic medical records and video app. Its mission is to use telemedicine to provide people in developing countries with access to quality healthcare services in the most cost and time effective way, anytime, anywhere.
A total of 11 startups pitched their projects before an online jury and audience at the live virtual event. Early in the year, Sanofi called on startups and techpreneurs across Africa to submit applications to its four healthcare challenges. 268 applications were received from 34 African countries, based on five criteria: project maturity, early results, relevance of the solution, market potential and business model, as well as the skills and expertise of the team.
At the end of the finals, the jury, composed of experts internal and external to Sanofi, announced the 5 winning startups:
The first challenge was ‘How to support patients with a digital health book in order to access information and make decision’ was won by EYONE, a Senegalese startup which offers a shared medical file where patients have access to their medical records in real time everywhere and are connected to 35 online health professionals that have partnered with the startup.
Kenya’s MamaPrime won the third Challenge titled ‘How to improve financing and impact of innovative health solutions in Africa’. MamaPrime is a health fintech company that enables mothers and their families to prepay for their prenatal and postnatal care and child wellness services in installments throughout their pregnancy.
Two winners emerged from the ‘ Sanofi Espoir Foundation: How to improve maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa’ challenge. They were Teheca, a Ugandan startup which connects new and expectant mothers to qualified nurses for at home post- natal checkups and supports by using low cost and low-tech solutions; and the University Agency Innovation (from Cameroon) which is a hub of scientific, technological and enterprise-based innovations.
AfricaTech is a commitment by Sanofi to encourage and accelerate innovation in Africa, improve access to healthcare and transform the health ecosystem throughout the continent.
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