What is the name of your organization?
Pona Health
What is the name of your solution?
Pona Health
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
An AI-powered platform that helps people speak to the right doctors online and access affordable, convenient virtual healthcare.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Tanzania
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
In Tanzania and across Sub-Saharan Africa, millions face limited access to timely, affordable, and quality healthcare due to a shortage of medical professionals, poor health infrastructure, and geographic barriers. Over 60% of the population lives in rural areas with minimal access to doctors, leading to delayed diagnoses and unmanaged chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and reproductive health disorders. According to WHO, Tanzania has less than 1 doctor per 10,000 people, well below the recommended standard. Additionally, many people are unable to identify their symptoms or receive guidance due to a lack of health awareness. This problem is intensified by the rise of non-communicable diseases, which now account for over 30% of deaths in Tanzania. Globally, billions still lack access to primary care, especially in underserved regions. Pona Health addresses these challenges by offering an AI-powered, open-source platform that allows users to understand their health conditions and consult doctors online, breaking down barriers of distance, cost, and awareness.
What is your solution?
Pona Health is an open-source, AI-powered virtual healthcare platform that helps people understand their health conditions and connect with qualified doctors for remote consultations. Users can interact with an AI assistant that offers initial health insights based on symptoms and guides them to the appropriate medical specialist. They can then book appointments, chat, or speak directly with doctors via voice or video calls available through both web and mobile applications. The platform also supports non-smartphone users through USSD and SMS integration, making it inclusive even in low-connectivity settings. Pona Health currently operates in six countries, supports five languages, and accepts payments in ten currencies. Our subscription model allows patients to access unlimited consultations at discounted rates. The system is built on a scalable architecture, with AI tools for triage, natural language processing for health queries, and a secure, privacy-respecting infrastructure that does not collect personal health data. By reducing barriers to care, Pona Health brings accessible, affordable healthcare to underserved populations. You can access it via https://ponahealth.com/
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Pona Health serves individuals in low-resource settings, especially those with reproductive health issues, chronic conditions like diabetes, and high blood pressure who often lack timely access to healthcare due to geographic, financial, or infrastructural barriers. Our users include both urban and rural populations in six countries, with a focus on underserved communities. Many of them do not own smartphones or live far from medical centres, limiting their ability to receive early diagnoses and ongoing care. By offering multilingual, AI-assisted health education, affordable virtual consultations, and both web and USSD/SMS access, Pona Health empowers users to understand their symptoms, access qualified doctors, and receive care from the comfort of their homes. The platform supports continuity of care, reduces unnecessary hospital visits, and ensures that even vulnerable populations can get timely, relevant medical attention—ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing disease burden in these communities.
