What is the name of your organization?
Medici con l’Africa CUAMM
What is the name of your solution?
AntiBioCheck (ABC)
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
AntiBioCheck (ABC) is a USSD-based application for verifying antibiotics, reporting falsified drugs, and accessing Uganda Clinical Guidelines
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kampala, Uganda
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
UGA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Substandard and falsified antibiotics pose a significant public health threat, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Uganda. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 10% of medicines in LMICs are substandard or falsified, leading to treatment failures, drug resistance, and unnecessary deaths. In Uganda, the National Drug Authority (NDA) reported numerous cases of falsified and counterfeit antibiotics flooding local markets, which compromises the effectiveness of treatments, especially for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses. These substandard antibiotics often arise from unregulated distribution channels and poor-quality control systems. Clinicians, healthcare workers, and the public face challenges identifying authentic antibiotics and distinguishing them from falsified ones.
AntiBioCheck (ABC) addresses this by leveraging a simple USSD platform to allow frontline health workers and the general public to verify antibiotic authenticity, report suspected falsified drugs, and access guidelines for proper antibiotic use. This will improve public health safety, reduce the misuse of antibiotics, and help control antimicrobial resistance (AMR). With widespread community reach, the app can empower users with crucial information, reducing the negative impacts of falsified drugs.
What is your solution?
AntiBioCheck (ABC) is a USSD-based mobile application designed to verify the authenticity of antibiotics and access clinical guidelines for their proper use. Accessible via any mobile phone, regardless of internet connectivity, ABC allows front-line health workers and the general public to easily check whether an antibiotic is genuine by querying the National Drug Authority (NDA) drug register, which is a public document published online. Users can also report suspected counterfeit antibiotics by sending details such as the facility name, location, and drug description. The app sends notifications about counterfeit drugs and offers information on the correct use of antibiotics to avoid misuse. By leveraging the already existing NDA database, AntiBioCheck provides a quick, reliable, and offline method to ensure antibiotic safety and prevent the spread of substandard and falsified drugs. The app enhances awareness, supports better clinical decision-making, and empowers communities with the knowledge to fight counterfeit drugs and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Uganda and similar contexts.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
This intervention targets the Lango sub-region of Northern Uganda with a population of 2,756,453 people, of which 13.8% live beyond 5km from a health facility, are served by both formal and informal drug shops and clinics that often dispense antibiotics of doubtful quality and dosage over the counter. In Uganda, over-the-counter dispensing of antibiotics without prescription is common at local pharmacies and Drug shops. AntiBioCheck (ABC) serves front-line health workers and the general public, particularly in rural and under-served areas with limited access to the internet or modern technology. The beneficiaries include healthcare workers who face challenges in verifying antibiotic authenticity, and community members who may be exposed to substandard or falsified antibiotics unknowingly. Currently, these groups lack an easy, accessible way to verify the quality of drugs or receive up-to-date clinical guidance on antibiotic use. ABC empowers them by providing an offline, USSD-based tool to check antibiotics against the National Drug Authority (NDA) database, report fake drugs, and receive information on proper usage. ABC will directly impact public health by reducing the risks of counterfeit drug consumption, preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and promoting better healthcare outcomes for patients in the Lango sub-region
