Verifie App

The lack of accessible sexual and reproductive health has become a significant public health challenge in Africa, with Ghana currently experiencing substantial consequences including high maternal mortality rates of 308 deaths per 100,000 live births, low contraceptive use of only about 22.4% and relatively high HIV prevalence rates of 1.9% among adults aged 15 to 49. The rates of Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea are also on the rise, particularly among young adults. The primary reason for the increase is the tendency of young adults to engage in unprotected sexual activities, either due to a lack of awareness of safe sex practices or a disregard for the use of appropriate protection. Additionally, delayed seeking of medical attention upon infection and failure to seek treatment at all contribute to the prevalence of STIs in Ghana and across Africa. To address this growing concern, there is a need for concerted efforts to promote safe sex practices, increase awareness of the risks of STIs, and encourage early diagnosis and treatment of infections.
This is where the Verifie app comes in with its technology to provide full access to everyone, especially the youth and marginalized groups who may otherwise not seek medical help due to legal and cultural barriers.

Verifie is an eHealth app designed to promote sexual and reproductive health by offering a safe space for individuals to seek education, testing, and treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). The app utilizes mobile and web technology with some underlying machine learning systems to provide users with personalized recommendations and connect them with health professionals. With a focus on encouraging regular testing and treatment as well as prevention, Verifie also raises awareness of good sexual health practices through sexual health articles, targeting young adults and marginalized communities in particular. Additionally, the mobile app provides access to healthcare professionals who can address personal sexual and reproductive health issues through interactive messaging, ensuring all users regardless of their sexual orientation, age or status can receive immediate medical attention and support. Ultimately, we provide easy access to STI health tests and services by curating affordable health test packages, self-tests as well as contraceptives for young people. The mobile and web application is used to schedule private screening sessions either at our facility or at the client's place of convenience. We also offer delivery of self-tests and contraceptives.

The Verifie app serves all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation, age or status who seek education, testing, and treatment for Sexual and Reproductive Health issues in Ghana. The app however targets underserved communities including rural youth, young professionals and students between the ages of 16 and 40, marginalised communities, key populations, and female sex workers who are deprived of access due to cultural and legal opposition, stigma and discrimination.

The app provides users with a safe space to access personalized recommendations, connect with health professionals, and receive immediate medical attention and support through interactive messaging. By promoting safe sex practices, raising awareness of the risks of STIs, and encouraging early diagnosis and treatment, the Verifie app can positively impact the lives of individuals by preventing the spread of STIs, reducing the prevalence of STIs, and improving overall sexual health.

Verifie Health is well-positioned to deliver our solution to promote sexual health and encourage testing for STIs among the youth in Ghana. The team, led by co-founder and CEO Alexander Quaisie, has already successfully offered more than 7,000 people access to safe and affordable testing for STIs and reproductive health products. Additionally, as a team we have demonstrated our commitment to promoting HIV awareness and education through the annual World AIDS Day for the youth commemoration event, where we introduced the concept of U=U, which emphasizes the importance of regular medication and adherence to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV. Verifie also partners with large-scale organizations such as universities, UN agencies, and private sector partners to conduct high-volume STI tests and sexual and reproductive health campaigns at special events, branded under the “Let’s Have a Quickie” campaign. This campaign targets tertiary students on campuses and key populations to offer free education, STI testing, and contraceptives. Since its inception and through this program, Verifie has been on 4 major university campuses within Ghana and 15 outdoor events, screening more than 5,000 young people while newly diagnosing 21 people with HIV and many others of Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted infections. Most of the newly diagnosed are placed on treatment, tracked, and supported. Verifie also has a community of more than 200 students and young professionals, mostly in the health field but also cutting across other professional sectors who we offer mentorship, training and career development opportunities. With the support of international partners and endorsements from UNAIDS, Ghana AIDS Commission, and the National AIDS Control Program, Verifie Health is well-positioned to continue its mission to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana through technology and innovation.

7,233 (as of May 1, 2023)

Verifie Health is applying to MIT Solve for several reasons. Firstly, MIT Solve provides a platform for innovative solutions to global challenges to be recognized, supported, and scaled up to have a wider impact. As a health-tech startup with a focus on improving access to sexual and reproductive health services through technology and innovation, Verifie Health sees MIT Solve as a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations, gain exposure, and access resources that can help the organization to scale our solution. Secondly, MIT Solve has a strong reputation for supporting social impact initiatives and providing mentorship and funding to promising startups. By applying to MIT Solve, Verifie Health hopes to leverage the platform's resources to expand its reach and impact. While the eHealth app has already provided more than 7,000 individuals in Ghana with access to affordable STI testing and reproductive health products, we at Verifie Healthrecognize the pressing need to extend our services to other parts of Ghana and beyond to neighboring African countries in order to make a further positive impact in the area of reducing sexually transmitted infections. To accomplish this goal, we require financial support for growth and strategic partnerships that can help establish our presence in new locations. By partnering with MIT Solve, we hope to gain access to funding opportunities, mentorship, and valuable connections that can help accelerate our expansion plans and improve sexual health outcomes across the continent.

Verifie is innovative because it utilizes mobile app technology with an internal recommender system to discreetly match individuals to health experts for consultation, improving access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana, particularly for at-risk and marginalized populations. Verifie has also recently piloted a natural language chatbot that offers sexual health advice and initial medical prognosis based on shared symptoms, made possible by Zapier's Zapbot, allowing anyone using a web browser on a desktop to receive quick feedback on their sexual health questions and symptoms.

Furthermore, Verifie is championing the U=U concept to encourage testing and treatment adherence for people living with HIV. This data-driven and internationally accepted approach is a game-changer that breaks the fear and stigma surrounding HIV testing, and treatment while promoting treatment adherence and fostering hope in affected individuals.

This innovative concept also contributes to ending AIDS by 2030, promotes procreation, and improves the quality of life for people living with and affected by HIV.

Verifie's approach can catalyze broader positive impacts by increasing access to sexual and reproductive health services for at-risk and marginalized populations, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Additionally, our use of technology to address this issue can encourage other organizations to adopt similar innovative approaches, leading to a shift in the market towards more technology-driven healthcare solutions.

Our impact goals for the next year and the next five years are aligned with our mission to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana, particularly for at-risk and marginalized populations. 

Over the next year, our goal is to expand our services to reach at least 5,000 more people through strategic partnerships and increased outreach efforts. We also plan to launch our natural language chatbot, which we believe will greatly enhance our ability to provide quick and accurate sexual health advice to our clients. 

In the next five years, our goal is to become the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana, expanding our reach to other African countries as well. We aim to achieve this through the establishment of strong partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders in the healthcare industry. 

To achieve our impact goals, we will continue to invest in our technology and team, with a focus on innovation, quality service delivery, and cost-effectiveness. We will also seek funding opportunities to support our growth and impact. 

Overall, our impact goals are driven by our commitment to improving the health and well-being of underserved populations in Africa. We believe that our innovative approach and dedication to our mission will catalyze broader positive impacts in the sexual and reproductive health space, leading to improved health outcomes and a better quality of life for people in the region.

At Verifie Health Limited, we are measuring our progress towards our impact goals through the following indicators:

1. Number of users: We track the number of individuals who have downloaded and used our mobile and web apps, as well as the number of people who have engaged with our chatbot service. This will help us determine if we are successfully reaching and serving our target population.

2. Health outcomes: We are monitoring health outcomes such as reduced rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancies, and HIV transmission. By measuring these outcomes, we can determine if our solution is making a positive impact on the health of our users in specific communities. For instance in selected university campuses.

3. User feedback: We regularly collect user feedback through surveys and focus groups to understand their experiences with our solution. This will help us identify areas for improvement and ensure that our solution is meeting the needs of our users.

4. Partnerships: We are actively seeking partnerships with organizations that share our mission and can help us scale our impact. By tracking the number and quality of our partnerships, we can determine if we are successfully expanding our reach and impact in the communities we serve.

5. Sustainability: We are tracking our revenue and expenses to ensure that our business model is sustainable and that we can continue to provide our services to those in need. By measuring our financial sustainability, we can ensure that our impact goals are achievable in the long-term.

Our theory of change is based on the belief that by providing accessible and reliable sexual and reproductive health services, we can improve the overall well-being of our target population. Our approach focuses on four key pillars:

1. Providing access to information: Through our mobile app and chatbot, we provide users with accurate and reliable sexual health information to help them make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

2. Improving access to care: Our app connects users with health experts who can provide confidential and discreet consultations, bridging the gap between healthcare providers and marginalized communities.

3. Encouraging behavior change: Our approach includes behavior change interventions that promote healthy sexual practices and encourage individuals to actively seek testing, counseling, and treatment services.

4. Advocating for policy change: We work with policymakers to advocate for policies that support the sexual and reproductive health needs of marginalized communities, such as expanding access to testing and treatment services and removing barriers to access.

Our ultimate goal or chief outcome is to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes for at-risk and marginalized populations in Ghana and across the African continent. We believe that by addressing the root causes of health disparities and leveraging the power of technology, we can achieve this goal and catalyze broader positive impacts in the global health space.

Verifie is powered by a mobile app (currently available on Google Playstore and iOS App Store) that uses an internal recommender system to match potential patients with qualified health experts. The app is designed to be discrete, ensuring that individuals have access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana, particularly at-risk and marginalized populations.

There is also a “Verifie Sexual Health Advisor” which is a natural language chatbot accessible via a web browser that provides sexual health advice and initial medical prognosis based on shared symptoms. This chatbot is made possible by Zapier's Zapbot, which allows anyone using a web browser to get quick feedback on their sexual health questions and symptoms.

Our technology is designed to make it easy and convenient for people to get the sexual health information and services they need. We believe that technology has the power to transform healthcare, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this innovation in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

Firstly, we recognize and acknowledge the unique needs and experiences of young people and marginalized communities when it comes to sexual and reproductive health. This includes understanding their cultural, social, and economic contexts and tailoring services and solutions accordingly, especially in a continent where there are many barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health.

Secondly, we actively seek out and engage with diverse perspectives and voices in the development and implementation of programs and policies related to sexual and reproductive health. This includes partnering with local community organizations and consulting with young people and marginalized communities to understand their needs and priorities.

Thirdly, creating a safe and inclusive environment that respects individual differences and celebrates diversity is crucial. This involves providing training and support for staff to develop cultural competency and awareness, ensuring that facilities and services are accessible and welcoming to all, and promoting diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of organizational culture.

Finally, we monitor and evaluate the impact of programs and policies on different groups to ensure that they are effectively addressing the needs of young people and marginalized communities and promoting equity and inclusivity. This involves collecting and analyzing data disaggregated by various demographic characteristics and using this information to continuously improve and adapt strategies to better serve diverse populations.

By incorporating these principles into our work, we are able to improve access to sexual and reproductive health solutions for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Our business model at Verifie Health is to generate revenue through partnerships with healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and other organizations in the sexual and reproductive health industry. We do so in 3 main ways:

1. We curate STI test packages at different price points which are accessible to our users. These tests go along with free consultation and management and can be done either in our clinic or offered as a home service.

2. We provide sexual and reproductive health services in collaboration with other organizations who pay in order for us to offer students and other underserved groups education, preventive services, testing, and treatment.

3. We sell affordable STI self-test kits and contraception.

We are also exploring grant opportunities from governmental and non-governmental organizations to fund our operations and scale our impact.

Verifie Health's plan for financial sustainability revolves around building strong and strategic partnerships with other healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations in the sexual and reproductive health industry. By offering unique and innovative solutions to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana, Verifie has attracted interest from partners who are willing to pay for services that can help improve the health and well-being of their target populations.

One way Verifie Health generates revenue is by curating STI test packages that are accessible to its users at different price points. These tests come with free consultation and management and can be conducted either at the Verifie Health clinic or as a home service. By providing these services, Verifie is able to generate revenue while also offering affordable and accessible testing services to at-risk and marginalized populations.

Another way Verifie generates revenue is through collaborations with other organizations to provide sexual and reproductive health services to underserved groups, such as students and marginalized groups. These collaborations often involve the partner organization paying Verifie to offer education, preventive services, testing, and treatment to their target population.

Verifie has adopted a multi-faceted business model to become financially sustainable. The company has established partnerships with healthcare providers and organizations in the sexual and reproductive health industry to offer STI test packages at different price points and other sexual and reproductive health services to underserved groups.
Verifie also sells affordable STI self-test kits and contraception. Moreover, the company has received grant funding from multinational and non-governmental organizations such as UNAIDS, the French embassy to Ghana, and the European Union to support its operations and scale its impact. Through these strategies, Verifie has been able to generate revenue and secure funding to sustain its operations and growth.