MedMundus Inclusive Health Portal

In the very near past, two conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia left thousands of people displaced. There are some communities living along the administrative border lines (ABLs), and of course they face many health, social, economic, and security challenges every day. The latest available data about people living along ABLs is “Needs Assessment of the Population Residing Along the Administrative Boundary Lines in Georgia,” developed by UN Women in 2019. According to the study score carding, which took place in 112 villages, including the villages along the ABL, access to medical facilities and information was one of the main issues faced by these communities, along with issues such as markets, agricultural lands, firewood, gas, irrigation water, cattle issues, herding lands, lack of land registration, compensation for the destruction of property, education, including access to schools and kindergartens, lack of access to medical care and pharmacies, road quality, restrictions on freedom of movement, and human security. Overall, 2% of communities report having a hospital in their community, 1% a polyclinic, and 45% a basic clinic. In communities without medical facilities, 26% have a village doctor, and a further 6% have a village nurse. In total, 38% of communities have no medical services in their community.

The idea is to create an exclusive channel on the platform of MedMundus for the people living at the administrative border line (ABL) of the Russian-occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Local people will be able to obtain individualized consultations on mental health (stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma) and reproductive health (family planning options, contraceptive methods, and fertility) in their native language for a set period of time through this channel; Professional videos to raise awareness about health and general well-being will be developed. We believe that with the support of the MedMundus team's extensive networking and professional understanding, this activity will be easy to implement.

According to the “Needs Assessment of the Population Residing Along the Administrative Boundary Lines in Georgia” the vast majority report that Magti (the Georgian mobile network) covers their community (96%), and most communities have coverage from Geocell (72%). 66% of communities reported being able to access coverage of the mobile internet. According to the most recent statistics available, the population along ABLs is 46,620, and if we assume a -33% decline rate, as occurred between 2002 and 2014, the present population could be approximately 31 000 individuals. We would like to target 70% of the population who have access to the mobile internet. With this solution , the people living in the ABLs of Georgia will have access to essential healthcare services and information regardless of their geographic location. Through informative videos, we aim to equip community members with the tools and resources needed to navigate the challenges they face. And the key aim of the action is to bring more inclusivity and equity to these communities. Together with local stakeholders and other NGOs in these regions, we will maximize accessibility to the services we deliver.

My professional journey before I joined MedMundus team as Strategic Officer,  can be characterized as very multidirectional. During 2017–2019, I served as a Local Action Group Coordinator for a rural development project in Adjara, Georgia. I facilitated the process of the establishment of the community organization of Khulo municipality, coordinated a number of trainings for local entrepreneurs, and participated in the elaboration of a local development strategy. In 2019, I moved to China and worked there as an international English teacher with kids aged 3–13. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, I had to come back to Georgia, but this experience increased my awareness of systemic challenges within China's education system. After returning to Georgia, I started working on the agricultural development project implemented by FAO-UN. Through the project implementation, I engaged in activities aimed at addressing gender inequalities, including providing entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial support and raising awareness about health, rights, and well-being for women. I realized that there are huge health awareness gaps among rural women in Georgia. Since I joined MedMundus, every day I see lots of opportunities that can contribute to a significant improvement of equal accessibility to health. Each day, we bring lots of ideas to strive against health accessibility challenges and disparities in Caucasian and Central Asian countries.

The founders of MedMundus Roin Rekvava, with 18+ years in healthcare, and Dr. Irakli Ninua, a medical advisor, bring invaluable knowledge, expertise, and networking connections in the Caucasian region and Central Asia. With their help, we can make sure to have the right connections and collaboration with stakeholders while implementing the project. Additionally, technical support from the Chief Technology Officer before developing the special channel on the platform will be available.

MedMundus as a telemedicine platform to provide the medical consultation services does exist and soon to be launched oficially but the Inclusive Health Portal tailored for communities living along the administrative boundary lines (ABLs) in Georgia has not been built or tested. Hence there is no any traction of this direction of the platform.

We are applying to Solve because we believe that our solution, the MedMundus Inclusive Health Portal, addresses one of the major challenges: improving access to healthcare for underserved communities, particularly those living along the administrative boundary lines (ABLs) in Georgia. There are several barriers that we hope the Solve can help us to overcome such as financial for the development of special channel, lack of technical expertise and recources, understanding of cultural and nuances of the communities.  Solve can help us develop culturally sensitive approaches and build strong relationships with local stakeholders. 

MedMundus uses cutting-edge telemedicine technologies to improve healthcare access. Our platform uses secure video conferencing and communication capabilities. Real-time remote consultations allow healthcare professionals to deliver expert medical advice, diagnose problems, and prescribe treatments to patients regardless of their physical location. MedMundus minimizes healthcare expenses while simultaneously improving patient outcomes and happiness by using technology to overcome geographical constraints. This novel strategy marks a huge step forward in healthcare delivery, addressing the essential issue of limited access to excellent medical services in remote and underserved locations.

Our aim is to create a functional and sustainable system for providing online consultations to at least 14,500 people (70% of the targeted population) living along the Administrative Boundary Lines (ABLs) in Georgia. Additionally, we aim to create and disseminate a series of videos addressing the topics of depression, stress, and adaptation, with a target of 10 short videos. 

Evidence supporting our theory of change includes insights from third-party research, such as the "Needs Assessment of the Population Residing Along the Administrative Boundary Lines in Georgia" by UN Women, which highlights the challenges faced by these communities and the need for improved healthcare access. Additionally, feedback from community members gathered through interviews and surveys will help validate the effectiveness of our approach and inform ongoing improvements to our solution.

Increased Health Access - Our primary goal is to ensure that community members living along the ABLs have convenient access to essential healthcare services, including mental health and reproductive health consultations. Indicator- Number of the consultations provided. 

Improved Health Outcomes - Ultimately, our goal is to contribute to improved health outcomes within ABL communities, including a reduction in preventable illnesses and an increase in overall well-being. Indicator -Number of improved health outcomes. 

Improved Understanding of Health Information - Indicator: engagement with our educational videos and assess changes in health knowledge and behaviors among platform users

7 full-time staff and 8 part-time staff—pertain to the overall MedMundus platform and its operations. Discussions are currently underway regarding the allocation of time once the implementation of this specific solution commences. 

The MedMundus team has just begun working on developing the concept for the MedMundus Inclusive Health Portal.

Our team consists of people with varied backgrounds and experience. We bring strategic thinking, research expertise, and effective communication skills to the table with backgrounds in medicine, entrepreneurship, technology, and business development. Advisers are  startup professionals who provide guidance in areas such as marketing, finance, and strategic development. We also have experience of collaboration with big pharma companies and organized many worldwide seminars for medical experts.

Our business model focuses on providing essential healthcare services and information to underserved communities along the administrative boundary lines in Georgia through the MedMundus Inclusive Health Portal. We offer individualized online consultations with healthcare professionals and educational videos addressing various health topics. Our platform serves as the central hub for accessing these services, providing convenience and tailored support to community members. Through targeted outreach campaigns, we raise awareness about our platform and its benefits. Our customers value the convenience, tailored support, and empowerment our services provide, making them essential for improving healthcare access and outcomes in these communities. Additionally, we generate revenue through a commission-based model on consultations, ensuring sustainability and scalability.

Our aim is to establishe partnerships with local healthcare providers, NGOs, and community organizations, laying the groundwork for future collaborations and funding opportunities. We aim to attract social impact investors who are interested in supporting initiatives that generate both financial returns and positive social outcomes. By demonstrating the impact and scalability of our solution, we position ourselves as an attractive investment opportunity for investors seeking to make a difference in healthcare access.