Solutions

The Challenge our innovation solves

Shortage and poor distribution of health workers in the country.

• UgandaDoctor to patient ratio is 1:8300 in urban areas (population under 5million) and 1:22000 in rural areas (affects population over 30 million).70% of doctors are in urban areas
• KenyaDoctor to patient ratio is 1:16,000. Kenya has 1400 doctors who haven’t been absorbed into the workforce.
• TanzaniaDoctor to patient ratio 1:20,000WHO recommend 1:1000 (part of SDG-Health workforce 2030 strategy).Africa has 24% of world’s disease burden but only 2% of the global supply of physicians. More than 2.4 million health care workers needed in Africa. Its estimated 23,407 South African doctors are in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and USA.10, 000 South African nurses in UK alone.

There’s a global shortage of 4.3 million health professionals worldwide.

At least half the world’s population can’t obtain essential health services according to new report World Bank and WHO. For almost 100 million these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty.

Access is the greatest challenge to health care delivery in Africa.

Impact of problem

• lower quality care
• time constraints on doctor-patient interactions
• Increased workload for healthcare practitioners.

Overworked and stressed practitioners

• Underpayment of health workers in Africa
• Unemployment of health workers in Africa due to governments being unable to afford their services, inadequate health center facilities to distribute available health workers
  • Unnecessarily prolonged wait time before consultations
  • Higher prices for consultations
• Doctor/specialist consultation fees (In Uganda general practitioner -$3-$9, specialist-$18-$30, In Kenya general practitioner -$18, specialist $36)

citations and references below

www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1460299/uganda-risks-losing-skilled-health-workers.

www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000210654/queries-over-fee-limits-for-private-hospitals

www.afro.who.int/news/what-needs-be-done-solve-shortage-health-workers-african-region

www.novartis.com/news/africa-struggles-fill-its-health-worker-shortage

www.researchgate.net/publication/26255714_Shortage_of_Healthcare_Workers_in_Developing_Countries-Africa

www.ysjournal.com/the-critical-shortage-of-healthcare-workers-in-sub-saharan-africa-a-comprehensive-review/

www.universalhealth2030.org/2017/03/21/kenya-tanzania-doctors-help-kenya-recover-health-sector-strike/

www.news-medical.net/amp/health/Physician-Shortage.aspx

www.who.int/news-room/detail/13-12-2017-world-bank-and-who-half-the-world-lacks-access-to-essential-health-services-100-million-still-pushed-into-extreme-poverty-because-of-health-expenses

How our innovation addresses challenge

• On innovation is a web based platform and USSD system that enables patients to consult with doctors online from home/office /anywhere at a fraction of usual consultation costs. From the platform doctors and specialist can register (there licenses, information will be verified and a profile created), patients will be able to browse the platform for doctors based on location/disease/experience/cost/number of online consultations made and then reach out to the doctor there choice to schedule an online consultation, the customer will pay a fee $0.8-$5 (depending on doctor/specialist selected), then consult with the patient. After the consultation the patient may review/give feedback about consultation, this in turn will affect which doctors appear first in search and patient can also recommend the doctor to friends/family. The fee paid will be split between the platform and doctor for example 30% and 70% respectively (actual percentages will be discussed). For those without smart phones, a USSD code e.g *135# prompts will direct patient to payment system, then customer service will immediately redirect to doctor/specialist available for consultation.
• Our innovation is going to give access to each and every mobile phone user in Africa access to a pool of licensed health workers world over for cheaper Consultation fees (cheaper by up to 50%), training and health knowledge. For smart phone users /internet connected users web platforms will provide messaging interaction to qualified doctors from home/office/anywhere at a fraction of the current Consultation fees on the market.

And those without smart phones will use USSD to pay and consult with doctors. It will be only available tech option for this issue in Africa.

In one statement, our innovation will provide millions of Africans cheaper and faster access to licensed health workers.

• Uganda 25 million people own mobile phones, 6.4 million people own smart phones
• nearly 200 million smartphone users in Africa
• over half a billion mobile subscribers in Africa by 2020,

citations and references below

www.pewglobal.org/2018/10/09/majorities-in-sub-saharan-africa-own-mobile-phones-but-smartphone-adoption-is-modest/

www.africanews/amp/2017/07/25/over-half-a-billion-mobile-subscribers-in-africa-by-2020-hi-tech/

www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/taking-challenges-health-care-africa