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Read, Debate: Engage.
| topic: | Health and Sanitation |
|---|---|
| located: | Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso |
| editor: | Bob Koigi |
In the wake of emerging health threats and the resurgence of old ones, a flurry of inventions and innovations are saving many lives by delivering much needed medical supplies to a critical part of the population in a timely manner.
In Africa, where poor infrastructure has traditionally hindered the delivery of supplies and where patients - especially those in rural areas - are miles from health facilities, the private sector, young innovators and development partners have invested in innovative approaches to reach those in need.
From drones that deliver medical supplies in various countries, to mobile clinics and doctors who travel by boat to reach remote villages on islands in coastal Kenya, these innovations have redefined healthcare access across Africa and inspired partnerships to further assist communities.
Young innovators have put their best foot forward to come up with home-grown solutions to Africa’s health problems and are not only providing immediate solutions, but also streamlining the entire medical value chain.
Ugandan innovators have invented smart jackets that are able to detect pneumonia three times faster than a doctor, offering timely diagnosis for a disease that kills 24,000 Ugandan children under the age of five every year.
An innovation in Tanzania dubbed Okoa - ‘save’ in Swahili - monitors the flow of drugs, up to the last tablet, from government stores to patients at health facilities, ensuring that theft and corruption in the value chain are tamed.
In Burkina Faso, an innovator, Adama Sawadogo, has invented a bracelet that ensures all children are registered - addressing the danger of having 230 million unregistered children, mostly from Africa, who are vulnerable to human trafficking.
Yet as we celebrate these milestones, it is worth noting that these ingenious innovators operate under tough environments burdened by high operational costs, punitive taxation and bureaucracy that slows their work.
At a time when the world is battling unprecedented medical shocks like COVID-19, governments and the private sector should invest more on innovators who continue to demonstrate impressive commitments to tackling modern health threats.
