Health And Wellness
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We recently attended the Africa Health Tech Summit, also known as #AHTS23, which took place from 17th of October 2023 to 19th October 2023. The summit was all about acknowledging and celebrating digital health innovations, exploring new and exciting ways to use technology to improve healthcare in Africa.
It was an event full of great ideas, immense collaboration opportunities and hope for the future of digital health! In this blog, I'll take you through my full experience at the summit and how it directly contributes to the work we are doing at Pharmarun.
AHTS 2023 was a remarkable event that occurred in the beautiful city of Kigali from October 17th to 19th, 2023. This gathering brought together over 1,000 experts, all with one shared goal - to enhance healthcare in Africa.
During the summit, I had the privilege of participating in the opening panel session titled "The New Africa Digital Health Deal: Stronger Health Security Through Digital Innovation." I shared the stage with esteemed individuals, including the Minister of Health, Government of Rwanda - Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Lacina Kone, who serves as the Director General of Smart Africa, Dr. Huyam Salih, the Director of AU I-BAR, and Ambassador Belen Calvo Uyarra, the E.U Ambassador to Rwanda. We engaged in meaningful discussions about policies, interoperability, and factors that can either nurture or restrict digital health innovators. It was a true honor to be part of this exciting journey.
The event kicked off with a keynote address by Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, the Minister of Health, Government of Rwanda, who opened the first session on the 17th. You can spot his name and mine on the event flyer. To ensure accuracy, please verify the identities of the fellow panel members from that flyer. For more details, you can refer to my LinkedIn posts, as they contain key insights from the three-day event that might be missing here.
My fellow speakers included some outstanding individuals, such as the Minister of Health from the Government of Rwanda, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Lacina Kone, who is the Director General of Smart Africa, Dr. Huyam Salih, the Director of AU I-BAR, and the European Union Ambassador to Rwanda, Amb. Belen Calvo Uyarra. They are all experts in their fields, and it was a privilege to be on the same panel with them.
The sense of purpose in the air made this event more exciting. Everyone there was passionate about making healthcare in Africa better. We discussed innovative ideas, new technologies, and how we can work together to achieve our goals. It was a gathering of minds with a common mission: to improve healthcare using the power of digital innovation.
Pharmarun has a simple yet powerful goal: to ensure that healthcare is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. We believe that quality Medication should be available to all, regardless of geographical location. This vision drove us to take part in many initiatives including the Africa HealthTech Summit, where we could connect with like-minded individuals and organizations who share our passion for improving healthcare.
To understand our mission, you should start by looking at the healthcare landscape in Nigeria. Despite an increase in the number of doctors, the quality of medical attention within our hospitals has been declining. This decline has left many rural areas in Nigeria without hospitals, clinics, or pharmacies resulting in high rates of mortality.
At Pharmarun, we're committed to transforming healthcare starting with Nigeria and beyond. We got to spread the message from our booth. Here are some of the key ways we've made a difference:
One of our most significant accomplishments has been addressing the issue of quick access to medications. We've ensured access to high-quality, genuine medications, saving lives and preventing harm caused by counterfeit drugs. Our platform allows easy online ordering and delivery of medications to any location, making quality healthcare accessible to many Nigerians.
Because of the easy access to pharmacies, it is common amongst Africans to rely on self-diagnosis and online symptom searches due to affordability issues in accessing healthcare. To tackle this, we created Pharmarun, a powerful tool, allowing individuals to schedule free consultations with healthcare professionals, including doctors and pharmacists. Instead of relying on Google for health information, users can discuss their symptoms with qualified professionals, receive prescriptions, and have medications delivered to their doorstep.
Chronic illnesses affect a significant portion of the African population. In Nigeria alone 29% of the population are managing chronic illness. We've developed a program that offers personalized care for individuals dealing with chronic health conditions. This program allows us to tailor our approach to meet their specific healthcare needs.
We've made health monitoring more accessible by offering services like BMI calculation, calorie intake tracking, and ovulation tracking through the Pharmarun app. This empowers users to monitor their health conveniently.
We've simplified the process of getting medical treatment and lab testing. Through the app, users can schedule consultations, book lab tests, and receive results promptly. This streamlining has made accessing healthcare services more convenient.
Collaboration has been at the heart of our journey and as Yacine Diop Djibo , the Founder & Executive Director of Speak Up Africa also rightly mentioned, "Your Network is Your Net Worth." We firmly believe that it's through working together that we can achieve our vision of accessible healthcare for all. The summit further opened up more opportunities to access more collaborations. We shared our experiences and learned from others who are equally passionate about healthcare transformation.
As we continually strive towards achieving our organizational goals, we're filled with hope and determination. We've achieved so much through collaboration, and we are ready to embrace the new opportunities that have come our way. The Africa HealthTech Summit was a turning point for us, and we're excited to continue making a difference in the world of health technology.
Special thanks to speak up africa, GIZ for making the trip possible. If you happen to read this blog and you want to join us on the journey on innovation for digital health, shoot me an email here.
We have simplified the parts of pharmacy that are complicated, cumbersome, and time-consuming. We believe in a pharmacy that is accessible to everyone and works for everyone.
