Débbo Africa

Débbo Africa

Débbo Africa

A hybrid platform using AI and telemedicine to support underprioritised women's health needs, improving equitable access to holistic care.

Lagos, Nigeria

NGA

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer are often under-recognised in Africa, despite being leading causes of mortality globally and among the greatest threats to women’s health. In low- and middle-income countries, including many across Africa, NCDs account for roughly 30% of deaths. Women are less likely to be diagnosed early due to economic, cultural, and systemic barriers. With out-of-pocket healthcare costs, limited access to preventive care, and caregiving responsibilities, many women place their health on the back-burner, adversely impacting communities as a whole. In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, awareness and uptake of preventive health services remain low. Many women rely on healthcare workers for information, yet access is constrained by a growing brain drain that has depleted the country’s skilled health workforce. This has significantly impacted healthcare delivery, particularly for women’s health. Chronic conditions like endometriosis, which disproportionately affect women (1 in 10 women worldwide) and linked to infertility, pain, and mental health struggles—are under-prioritised and often go undiagnosed. Despite their significant impact, these conditions receive little attention within African health systems, leaving women without personalised, timely care. Addressing these gaps is essential to improving women’s health and ensuring equitable access to holistic, high-quality care.

Débbo Africa is a doctor-led, hybrid healthcare platform transforming access to care for African women. We provide holistic, affordable, and quality care for women of reproductive age, to support their underserved health needs. Our trusted healthcare professional network includes medical doctors from a wide range of specialities such as gynaecology and dermatology, who provide personalised care for under-prioritised conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. We offer a combination of telemedicine and in-person consultations, as well as home testing and in-facility diagnostic services like radiological scans and pap-smears, ensuring convenience and comprehensive care. Our upcoming digital solution leverages AI-powered clinical decision support to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time. It will also feature educational content and risk assessment tools, expanding on our ongoing efforts to raise women’s health awareness through blogs, webinars, and condition-specific community forums.

Débbo Africa serves women of reproductive age through holistic, easily accessible, and compassionate care. We help manage under-prioritised conditions like PCOS, fibroids, and endometriosis, and provide preventative care for communicable and non-communicable diseases, connecting women to trusted specialists—including gynaecologists, nutritionists and general physicians—via telemedicine and in-person care. Our hybrid model also includes home testing, laboratory diagnostics, and radiological scans, making it easier for women to take a proactive approach to their health. We are committed to improving health awareness through our educational content and community forums. Our upcoming digital solution will also leverage human-centred AI to improve patients' access to the right care at the right time. Débbo Africa has already supported over 1,000 women with their health needs, completing over 5,000 lab tests. We are also operational in 10 Nigerian states. As we scale, our goal is to improve the lives of the over 100 million women in Nigeria and 700 million across Africa—especially those in underserved areas impacted by the healthcare brain drain.