MedxTek Africa

This is the podcast version of Dr. Oti's article titled " Towards authentic institutional allyship by global health funders" published in PLOS Global Public Health on March 18, 2022. Link to the full article is here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003024 Please note that this podcast version was generated using Google's NotebookLM. It does contain some minor inaccuracies and mispronunciations. This podcast is not part of the now ended MedxTek Africa series.

Today marks a special milestone as we release the final episode of MedxTek Africa! After 4 incredible seasons, 55 episodes, and being streamed in 96 countries worldwide, we're closing this chapter with full hearts and immense gratitude. To all the amazing guests who shared their wisdom and stories, thank you for enriching each episode with your unique insights. You made this journey more impactful than we could have ever imagined. And to our listeners, your continued support from all corners of the globe has been the true driving force behind this project. Your feedback, engagement, and enthusiasm have been inspiring, and we couldn't have done this without you. Here's to the conversations that have sparked growth, connection, and inspiration. While MedxTek Africa is coming to an end, the lessons and community we've built will live on. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Stay tuned for what's next! Now, enjoy this amazing episode with Niek Versteegde, Founder/CEO of GOAL 3 and one of the brains behind the IMPALA system. This system is a smart data-driven technology that helps clinical health workers to analyze patient data more effectively, detect trends in vital signs, and identify patients at high risk. This enables them to provide better care and manage patients more efficiently, without increasing their workload. For more info visit: https://www.goal3.org/ MedxTek Africa was produced and hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast series has been distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, we chat with Sahar Jamal, CEO and founder of Maziwa. Her company developed the Wema Breast Pump --a portable, battery-operated, and wireless device that enables women to express breastmilk discreetly at work or in a public space. The pump is more affordable than other options, targeting low-income women who often lack access to breast pumps or lactation support. For more information visit: https://maziwabreastfeeding.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

The 2nd edition of the Transforming African MedTech Conference took place from 28 – 30 August 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. At the sidelines of the conference, I spoke with several delegates who shared their highlights. They include: Winnie Kibiru, MedTech Lead, Villgro Africa. She is one of the brains behind the conference and she talked about the event's vision and goals. Vivian Arinaitwe, CEO and co-founder, Che Innovations. Her innovation, the Neonest, was one of several amazing medtech devices on exhibition. Hellen Gitonga, Regulatory Affairs Specialist for Africa at Philips Health Systems. She spoke about her experiences as a judge during the pitch competition for startups. Sewu-Steve Tawia, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Jaza Rift Ventures. They are one of the conference's conveners and are a major investor in Africa's medtech sector. Eddine Sarroukh, Innovation Lead at Phillips Foundation. He moderated a powerful panel discussion on addressing barriers to medtech innovation in Africa. Prof Ndirangu Kioni, former Vice Chancellor, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. He spoke about academia's catalytic role in medtech innovation. Kimani Chege, a freelance journalist who gave the media's perspective of the event. Rob Beyer, Co-founder and Executive Chair, Villgro Africa. He wrapped up the episode by addressing the ‘so what' and ‘what next' of the conference. For more information about the Transforming African Medtech Conference, visit: https://www.africanmedtech.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today is a special two-part episode. We'll be talking about two exciting funding and training opportunities for health innovators in Africa. In part 1, we'll hear from Dr Natnael Shimelash, Head of the East Africa Biodesign Program. This program is a 10 month long fellowship program during which fellows are expected to utilize the biodesign process to develop medtech innovations that solve real world problems. In part 2, we'll hear from Dr. Sylvia Muyingo who is leading the Mental Health Data Prize Africa. This prize is open to innovators, researchers and startups that are interested in generating scalable innovations and data-driven insights aimed at tackling the growing burden of mental health across Africa. Now the deadlines for applying to both opportunities are coming up soon, so if any of this sounds interesting to you, please dive right into the episode and learn more. You can also find out more about both opportunities by visiting the links below. East Africa Biodesign Program: https://ughe.org/east-africa-biodesign-program Mental Health Data Prize Africa: https://www.mentalhealthdataprizeafrica.aphrc.org/applications/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, we chat with Dr Hammed Ninalowo and Dr Chinedum Anosike. Originally from Nigeria, Hammed and Chinedum left their home country many years ago to pursue subspecialty radiology training in the US and UK respectively. But they never forgot the motherland and they wanted to make a difference in lives of millions of Africans who don't have access to subspecialty radiology services. So, they founded Accuread, a teleradiology company headquartered in Lagos and now spreading its wings across the African continent. This episode is all about their amazing story. MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) plays a vital role in modern healthcare diagnostics, but most Africans can't afford or access it. In this episode, I chat with Dr Johnes Obungoloch, a biomedical engineer and senior lecturer at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. We discuss how he and his team are developing what they call a low-field MRI system. Their dream is to democratize access to MRI across Africa. MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Ensuring the availability of safe and accessible water is crucial for public health, whether it's for drinking, household use, agricultural purposes, or recreational activities. Despite this, a staggering 2.1 billion people globally lack access to clean and safe drinking water, leading to approximately 2.2 million deaths from waterborne diseases annually, with the majority occurring in Africa. In this episode, I chat with John Renouard, the founder and executive director of WHOLives. Together, we delve into an engineering breakthrough pioneered by John and his team, aimed at enhancing access to clean water for marginalized communities. Their invention, dubbed the Village Drill, is a hand-powered device designed to drill boreholes and establish water wells at a fraction of the conventional cost. The Village Drill is transforming community health for millions of underserved people across Africa. MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠⁠, and co-edited by ⁠⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode features the co-founders of the Digital Health Interoperability Network (DHIN): Emeka Chukwu, Juliet Odogwu and Iniobong Ekong. With over 90 members, DHIN is a network of experts committed to digital health standardization efforts in low- and middle-income countries. We discuss their mission of creating an ecosystem where standardized digital solutions can seamlessly interoperate, enabling health stakeholders to access and utilize critical information efficiently. For more information, please visit: https://www.dhin-hie.org/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠, and co-edited by ⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Robert Karanja, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Villgro Africa. As an early-stage investor, the Villgro model comprises a venture capital arm that deploys blended finance (grant/equity) coupled with a bespoke incubation program for a portfolio of startups in the health and life sciences sector. For more information, please visit: https://villgroafrica.org/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠Dr. Sam Oti⁠, and co-edited by ⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Dr Kayode Ogunleye⁠ is a physician and co-founder of HealthXP ‒ a digital health company leveraging data to provide on-demand healthcare services in Africa. Their goal is to use technology to create thoughtfully designed, equitably deployed, and effectively used digital health applications with the potential to help prevent, mitigate, and reduce disparities in healthcare access, delivery, and care across the continent. For more information, please visit: ⁠https://www.healthxp.org/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by ⁠Dr Sam Oti⁠, and co-edited by ⁠Veronica Ojiambo⁠. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, I chat with Remi Adeseun, the Global Director of Salient Advisory and with Jessica Vernon, CEO and Founder of Maisha Meds. Salient Advisory is a healthcare consulting firm whose latest Market Intelligence Report is making waves across Africa's digital health scene. The report is titled “Innovations in Digitizing Health Supply Chains in Africa” and Remi will be sharing some insights from this groundbreaking publication. As a sneak peak, I can tell you that report finds that there are 350 innovators digitizing health supply chain processes across the continent. Now, one of these innovators is Jessica and her company Maisha Meds. Based in Nairobi, Maisha Meds has created the first and largest digital network of private pharmacies and clinics in East Africa. Together, Remi and Jess will be talking about the findings of the report and what it all means for digitally transforming health supply chains across Africa. MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting Dr. Mosoka Fallah, a distinguished figure in the field of public health in Africa. Dr. Fallah has been a leading force in combatting infectious disease outbreaks across the continent. Notably, his remarkable efforts in mobilizing local communities in Liberia during the 2013-2015 Ebola outbreak earned him recognition as one of Time Magazine's Persons of the Year in 2014. Currently, Dr. Fallah serves as the program manager for Africa CDC's "Saving Lives and Livelihoods" initiative, a groundbreaking $1.5 billion partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. This initiative is dedicated to promoting vaccine equity in Africa by supporting vaccine distribution, manufacturing, and bolstering the region's public health infrastructure. During our conversation, Dr. Fallah provides insights into the progress of the "Saving Lives and Livelihoods" initiative to date, shedding light on the pivotal role that digital health and technology play in enabling the initiative to reach its ambitious objectives. For more information about the "Saving Lives and Livelihoods" initiative, please visit: https://africacdc.org/saving-lives-and-livelihoods/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Ambassador Dr Josephine Ojiambo is the stakeholder engagement expert at the Kenya National Innovation Agency. She has an illustrious career in public health and diplomacy including serving as the Deputy-Secretary General to the Commonwealth. In this episode, our discussion revolves around how her organization is actively nurturing innovation and enterprise in Kenya through several initiatives, notably the National Innovation Awards, Innovation Academy, Research to Commercialization Accelerator, and more. If you happen to be a digital health entrepreneur or startup, this episode will be particularly captivating for you. For more information about the Kenya National Innovation Agency please visit: https://www.innovationagency.go.ke/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Kingsley Ndoh is the founder and chief strategist at Hurone AI ‒a medtech startup that is building AI-powered applications to make high quality cancer care accessible to people all around the world. Their digital platform is bridging the gaps in clinical oncology and research by equipping healthcare providers with valuable data to enhance and personalize treatment. Drug companies and clinical research organizations can also leverage their platform to advance cancer drug safety, ultimately improving cancer care for all. For more information please visit: https://hurone.ai/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Dr Phatho Zondi is the clinical lead and chief operating officer at Unu Health based in South Africa. In this episode we talk about the important role that technology and business can play in providing access to quality primary healthcare, and how Unu Health is using their tech platform to do exactly that. For more information please visit: https://unuhealth.org/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Joining me in this episode are two public health experts, Jessica McKinney and Laura Keyser, who have dedicated a significant portion of their careers to finding solutions for urinary incontinence and related pelvic floor disorders affecting African women. We will explore the challenges and opportunities for tackling pelvic floor disorders in Africa. We will also delve into their groundbreaking work on the development of a promising medical device that is designed to address urinary incontinence more effectively than other currently available treatment options. This device is known as the Leva® Pelvic Health System. For more information please visit: https://www.levatherapy.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Elizabeth Adeshina is the CEO and founder of Wazima Health, a digital health company providing telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and health education services through their platform. Their primary goal is to ensure access to affordable screening and treatment for noncommunicable diseases across Africa. Knowing my passion for NCD prevention and treatment, this podcast is dedicated to exploring the work of Wazima Health. Please join me on this journey with their extremely enterprising CEO. For more information about Wazima Health please visit: https://www.wazima.health/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode, we have David Chen as our guest, who is the CEO and co-founder of Kapsule - a data analytics firm that aims to make healthcare more affordable, accessible, and authentic by unlocking the potential of healthcare data. If you're a policymaker, a healthcare provider, or someone that is working at a nonprofit or at a pharmaceutical company, I guarantee you, this episode is worth your time. For more information about Kapsule please visit:https://www.kapsuletech.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today's episode features Emily Young, she is the CEO and co-founder of Moving Health, a company that is literally moving health forward through their low-cost emergency transportation innovation. Their mission is simple. Saving lives, one ride at a time. For more information about Moving Health please visit: https://www.moving.health/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In today's conversation, I am joined by Artem Brytchenko, the CEO of Platforce, which is an innovative platform for Customer Relationship Management. The platform is primarily created for the salesforce operating in the pharmaceutical, life science, and medical device sectors. If you are a part of any of these industries, this episode will be of particular interest to you. For more information about Platforce please visit: https://platforce.io/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Violadoc is a telemedicine service that was developed in Singapore by Meridional Health, a company specializing in the digitalization of the health sector. In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview Emmanuel Samuel, the CEO and co-founder of Meridional Health, about their plans to expand across Africa, starting with their launch in Morocco in 2022. For more information about Voiladoc please visit: https://voiladoc.ma/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Peace Ndoli Iraguha is the COO at Lifesten Health in Kigali, Rwanda. In this episode, Peace discusses how Lifesten leverages technology to assist young people in making informed decisions about their health and wellbeing. Lifesten is a company focused on health tracking and management, providing incentive-based wellness programs that offer engaging and rewarding experiences, empowering users to attain their health goals in an enjoyable and exciting way. For more information about Lifesten Health, please visit: https://lifesten.health/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo.  If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn.  Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Jean-Philbert Nsengimana is Africa CDC's Chief Digital Advisor. He is also a former minister of ICT in Rwanda. In this episode, Phil shares Africa CDC's vision for digitally transforming Africa's public health systems. Among other things, we talk about Africa CDC's inaugural digital transformation strategy which will be launched on March 6, 2023 at the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC 2023) in Kigali. For more information about AHAIC 2023, please visit: https://ahaic.org/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Joel Ugborogho, the CEO of CenHealth Academy, is my guest in this episode. CenHealth Academy provides a range of online and hybrid courses aimed at enhancing the digital health knowledge of healthcare professionals across Africa. In essence, their focus is on helping healthcare professionals develop their expertise in digital health through upskilling initiatives. Learn more about CenHealth Academy by visiting: https://www.cenhealthacademy.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Ilara Health, located in Nairobi, is a leading provider of medical products and solutions aimed at enhancing patient, clinical, and economic outcomes through the use of technology. The company supplies low-cost, modern diagnostic devices to primary care providers in under-served rural and peri-urban areas, where access to common diagnostic tools is limited. Their proprietary software integrates all of the devices they distribute, enabling healthcare professionals to offer effective patient management. In this episode, Maximilian Mancini, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Ilara Health, shares the company's vision and progress to date. Learn more about Ilara Health by visiting: http://www.ilarahealth.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. This episode also features Veronica as co-host. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Welcome to the first episode of MedxTek Africa in 2023. Hope your year has been off to a great start. This episode features Patricia Monthé, the CEO and founder of MEDx eHealthCenter. MEDx is a digital health company that is helping African governments to achieve universal health coverage through digital technology. Learn more about MEDx by visiting: https://www.medxehealthcenter.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Viebeg is building what they hope will become the "Amazon for medical supplies" in Africa. By connecting healthcare providers directly with manufacturers — and thereby removing brokers and middlemen from the value chain, they are making medical products more affordable and accessible. In this episode, I chat with Viebeg's co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer - Alex Musyoka - as he talks about their journey so far. Learn more about Viebeg by visiting: https://www.viebeg.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. This episode also features Veronica as co-host. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today you will be hearing about a digital health innovation known as mTOMADY that is being implemented in Madagascar. mTOMADY is a multi-payer platform that connects beneficiaries to different health financing mechanisms. I'll be chatting with its co-founders - Elsa Rajemison, Samuel Knauss and Julius Emmrich. Their vision is to create a platform that lowers financial barriers to healthcare and accelerates progress towards universal health coverage. Learn more by visiting https://www.mtomady.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Maneesh Juneja is a digital health futurist. He tells stories about the future of health and medicine. Maneesh appears on the Netflix Series, The Future Of. In fact, that was how I learned about his work and reached out to ask him to be a guest on the podcast. This was such an amazing conversation. It felt like I was peering into a crystal ball and visualizing what the future of digital health might look like in the next few decades. Learn more about Maneesh by visiting https://maneeshjuneja.com/ or visiting his LinkedIn profile. MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode features Bart Wilms - General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & Head of Impact at the Evercare Group. Evercare Group is an industry leader in the healthcare space. The Group operates several hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers across Africa and South Asia. They recently published their annual impact report for the year 2021/22 and Bart will be taking us through the highlights of the report and specifically how they are innovating in the digital health and health tech space. We'll also talk about their newly launched Evercare Foundation which has a vision of becoming the largest healthcare foundation in the world. Yes, you read that right. This is one very impressive healthcare organization that is at the cutting edge of blending brick and mortar health care with digital health in low and middle income countries. Learn more by visiting https://evercaregroup.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Freda Katunda Olsen is CEO and co-founder of LEAP - an online healthcare education platform for Africa. They offer contextualized, accredited courses for healthcare professionals. Their mission is to create lasting healthcare change in Africa. Learn more by visiting https://leap-educate.com/ MedxTek Africa is produced and hosted by Dr Sam Oti, and co-edited by Veronica Ojiambo. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like us to host on the show, please reach out directly by email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Obinna Oriaku is CEO and founder of SocratesMD - a telemedicine platform delivering world-class healthcare to Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal of the platform is to make it easy for the African diaspora to ensure that their family members back in Africa receive affordable, high-quality and instant healthcare even in the most remote parts of the continent. The SocratesMD service is provided exclusively by specially selected US-based medical practitioners who are also of African descent. Learn more by visiting https://www.socratesmd.com/ --- MedxTek Africa is pleased to welcome Veronica Ojiambo to the production team as co-editor. Veronica is a public health researcher with specialization in advanced qualitative research methods. She is currently a tutorial fellow at the Department of Public and Global Health, University of Nairobi where she leads the Health Education/Promotion module. Karibu sana Vera! --- If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that the MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Stephanie Koczela is CEO and co-founder of Penda Health - a leading private provider of primary health care in East Africa. Since opening its doors over a decade ago, Penda has attended to more than one million patients across 21 medical centers and growing. Digital technologies have been a key tool in enabling Penda Health to march towards its vision of making patient-centered primary healthcare available and accessible in everyone's neighborhood. In this episode, we go into detail about Penda Health's tech-enabled business model which I believe ought to be the gold-standard for scaling primary healthcare in resource constrained contexts. To learn more about Penda Health visit: https://www.pendahealth.com/ --- This episode is dedicated to my younger brother Richard who passed away on the 3rd of August 2022 after a long battle with a chronic illness. His passing was a painful reminder that good health is everything. I miss him dearly. --- If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

My guest on this episode is Dr. Krishna Jafa. She is a physician and public health executive who has over two and half decades of expertise in health system design and strengthening and in digital health innovation. She is the CEO of an organization known as Medic. Medic designs open-source software that enables frontline health workers to provide quality care in some of the world's hardest-to-reach communities. Today we'll be speaking about a very specific initiative that is being implemented by Medic -- the Digital Health Ecosystem project. As you will be hearing from Dr. Jafa, the goal of this project is to accelerate digital health entrepreneurship in LMICs. The project is being implemented in partnership with PATH and is funded by the Bayer Foundation. This is such an exciting initiative that I really believe will catalyze digital health innovation across the African continent. So, if you are a digital health entrepreneur or innovator, then this episode will be very much of interest. You can learn more about the DHE project by visiting: https://www.path.org/media-center/catalytic-funding-bayer-foundation-accelerate-digital-health-entrepreneurship-lmics/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

My guest on this episode is an African digital health guru. Her name is Dr. Egbe Osifo-Dawodu. She is a founding partner of the Anadach Group – a consulting firm that provides technical and strategic support to digital health companies and investors across the developing world. She's one of those people that has been committed to digital health long before it became fashionable. So in this episode we'll be tapping into her 20+ years of experience as we talk about some common mistakes that digital health startups tend to make such as issues to do with intellectual property, licensing and even about how easily some startups surrender equity to potential funders. You can learn more about the Anadach Group by visiting: https://www.anadach.com/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode features Mitali Ayyangar the portfolio manager for frontline health systems at DataKind. DataKind works with mission-driven organizations to unlock their data science potential ethically and responsibly. In this episode, Mitali talks about innovative data science tools that are increasing the confidence that governments and their implementing partners have in the quality of data that is collected at the frontlines of the healthcare system. You can learn more about DataKind by visiting: https://www.datakind.org/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

My guest today is Dr Pratap Kumar. He wears multiple hats including being a senior lecturer at one of East Africa's leading business schools ‒Strathmore Business School‒ and also serving as the CEO of a digital health company. That company is known as Health-E-Net and they are on a mission to revolutionize the capture and use of high quality data in global health. Health-E-Net has developed a suite of innovations and you will be hearing about some of them in today's episode. In fact, one of the innovations that you will hear about won the global health innovation prize in 2018. You can learn more about Health-E-Net by visiting: https://www.health-e-net.org/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

In this episode I chat with Margaret Odera. She is a veteran community health volunteer (CHV) that has spent her career serving the needs of the vulnerable in Nairobi's informal settlements.  Margaret shares a heartbreaking but inspiring story about how she rose from the ashes of being diagnosed with HIV to dedicating her life to saving poor mothers and babies who are also living with the disease. Although she is not necessarily a technology or digital health innovator, I invited her to be a guest on the show for two related reasons. First, CHVs like Margaret often play an integral role in the implementation and scaling of digital health innovations in underserved communities. Therefore, it is important to highlight their value-add and needs. Second, Margaret is leading what seems to be a really important movement to professionalize and compensate CHVs. I believe her movement will ultimately contribute to strengthening community health structures to the benefit of the digital health ecosystem in Kenya and possibly across Africa.  Special thanks to Amie Vaccaro, Global Marketing Director at Dimagi for connecting me with Margaret. Shout out to my daughters Zira (3) and Ada (6) for doing the intro and outro respectively of this episode :) If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti.  Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode features Dr Davis Musinguzi ‒the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Rocket Health Africa. Rocket Health is one of the pioneers of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa. After almost a decade operating in Kampala, they recently raised $5 million in series A funding to scale their integrated digital health solution to more regions across Uganda and within East Africa over the next few years. You can learn more about Rocket Health by visiting: https://rockethealth.africa/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

On this episode, I am joined by Sathy Rajasekharan ‒the Executive Director (Africa) at Jacaranda Health. Sathy offers compelling insights on what it means to build accessible, inclusive, and trusted digital health technologies that support hard-to-reach and last mile mothers across Kenya, and how digital technologies have a responsibility to give women a voice in the health system. You can learn more about Jacaranda Health by visiting: https://www.jacarandahealth.org/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today I am joined by Radha Karnad. She is the Chief Medical Officer at HealthX Africa. HealthX is on a journey to make high quality primary health care and wellness accessible, affordable, convenient and equal. They are using the power of digital technology to reach every user with quality primary health care services wherever they are, whenever they want, and as often as they need. You can learn more about HealthX by visiting: https://www.healthxafrica.com/ If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

On this episode, I chat with Gloria Kahamba. She is a deputy director of programs at D-tree International (D-tree). D-tree is a non-governmental, non-profit global digital health organization committed to transforming health systems and improving lives by integrating digital technology into health systems in innovative and effective ways. Gloria will be highlighting some of their flagship digital health innovations in Tanzania. We specifically take a deeper dive into an innovation that they call Afya-Tek (which literally means "Health-Tech" in Kiswahili). Afya-Tek uses cutting-edge technology to link accredited drug dispensing outlets (ADDOs), primary health facilities, and community health workers (CHWs) in a fully digitized, people-centered healthcare system. You can learn more about Afya-Tek by visiting: https://www.d-tree.org/afya-tek If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode features Rory Assandey. He is the founder of La Ruche Health ‒a health tech start-up that is on a journey to build inclusive apps that simplify health care delivery and improve patient access to preventive services in Côte d'Ivoire. You can learn more about LaRuche Health by visiting: https://laruche.health/   If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti.  Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

On this first episode of 2022, I chat with Ismaïla Diene. He is the Vice President of Solutions at Dimagi, based out of Dakar, Senegal. Dimagi has spent the last two decades developing and scaling social impact technologies across the world. One of their flagship innovations is known as CommCare. They describe it as the world's most powerful mobile data collection platform. Ismaïla will be telling us more about this amazing platform and how it is empowering frontline healthcare workers in African countries such as Burkina Faso and Madagascar. You can learn more about CommCare by visiting: https://www.dimagi.com/  If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

This episode wraps up Season 1 of MedxTek Africa. It is a live recording of a webinar panel that I moderated as part of activities to mark Transform Health's Digital Health Week 2021. The webinar was organized by MedxTek Africa in collaboration with Innovations in Healthcare. My guests included: Dr. Charles Kamotho, CEO and Founder, Daktari Africa, Kenya Dr. Martha Muthami, Medical Doctor and Epidemiologist, Kenya Ministry of Health Mr. Julius Mbeya, Co-CEO, Lwala Community Alliance, Kenya Ms. Cynthia Kahumbura, Director of Operations, Jacaranda Health, Kenya In this panel session, we explored challenges and opportunities for accelerating the digital transformation of Kenya's healthcare sector while ensuring equitable access for groups experiencing intersecting forms of marginalization and exclusion such as women, persons with disabilities and displaced populations. Key discussion points: In what ways has the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation of Kenya's healthcare sector? What are some of the manifestations and drivers of inequity and exclusion that have resulted from the acceleration of Kenya's digital health transformation? What are the gaps and opportunities for policymakers and other key stakeholders to ensure that Kenya's digital health transformation is equitable and inclusive? In what ways can marginalized and vulnerable groups be empowered to benefit equitably from the accelerated digital transformation of Kenya's healthcare sector? If you have any thoughts on this episode, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today my guest is Jamie Arkin. She is the director of partnerships and development at a company known as Ai-fluence where she leads a sub-brand called Ai-fluence Reach. Ai-fluence Reach is using Artificial Intelligence to radically transform the way we influence social and behavior change in public health. You can learn more about Ai-fluence by visiting: https://www.ai-fluence.com/ and LinkedIn @aifluence If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Pneumonia kills 2000 children every day, many of them in Africa. Most of these deaths are preventable especially if the disease is detected and treated early but that's simply not the case especially in vulnerable and marginalized communities across our continent. My guest today has had enough of this situation. So, her and her co-founder set out to do something about it. Her name is Olivia Koburongo and she is the CEO and co-founder of a device and software company known as MamaOpe based in Kampala, Uganda. Her and her team invented a "smart" jacket that helps with the early detection of pneumonia in children. It uses acoustic technology, supported by an intuitive algorithm, to detect early signs of disease. It is potentially a game changer particularly in contexts where resources are highly constrained. You can learn more about MamaOpe by visiting: http://mamaope.com/, Twitter @mama_ope and LinkedIn @mamaope medicals. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Today we're talking money! The so-called root of all evil and yet everyone needs it including health tech start-ups. So how do tech startups in Africa get about raising capital? Well, in this episode I'll be speaking with a man who has all the answers and even has some money to give away. Well, not him personally but his organization ‒the Baobab Network‒ runs an accelerator that invests as much as $25,000 in early-stage tech ventures across Africa. His name is Mr Arthur Chupeau and he is the Head of Ventures at the Baobab Network based here in Nairobi. It was such an insightful conversation so please listen, like and share with anyone who you know might need capital for their health tech start up on this beautiful continent. You can learn more about the Baobab Network by visiting https://thebaobabnetwork.com/ or on Twitter and FB @thebaobabnetwork and LinkedIn @the-baobab-network. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.

Every 11 seconds a woman somewhere in this world dies during childbirth. That's 800 women every day. And most of these preventable deaths happen right here on the African continent. Today I'll be speaking with an enterprising young man who along with his team are on mission to tackle this sad situation. His name is Tafadzwa Munzwa and he is a medical student based in Zambia. On today's show we'll be hearing about his startup – Dawa Health – a digital health platform that is reshaping access to maternal health for vulnerable African women. You can learn more about Dawa Health by visiting https://dawa-health.com or on Twitter and IG @dawa_health or on LinkedIn @dawamed. If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you'd like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti. Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.