What is the name of your organization?
Daktari Africa
What is the name of your solution?
Specialist Care, Everywhere!
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Daktari Africa gives convenient access to medical specialists to treat, teach and train, even at primary care level.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Nairobi
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Kenya
What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Africa and across the globe. One in five people (21%) in Kenya suffer from hypertension, the most important cardiovascular risk factor. Yet most hypertensives in Kenya are unaware of their condition; a paltry 11% are on medication; and less than 4% achieve blood pressure control. Something similar occurs for diabetes. The paucity of symptoms, the low access to qualified healthcare providers, and the high cost of medicines all contribute to the poor management of these conditions.
The doctor-to-patient ratio in the public sector in Kenya is a mere 1:17,000, as compared to the WHO minimum of 1:1000, and most are in urban centres, while most patients are rural. Medical specialists, the pillars for cardiovascular diseases management, are even fewer.
Mismanagement of such conditions leads to heart failure, stroke or renal failure, requiring dialysis, even among those in their prime age, meaning that they become dependents, rather than producers of financial support. Since most are without medical insurance, this creates poverty among families and societies, pushing others abroad in search of greener pastures. Furthermore, national health insurance systems are continually burdened by rising costs, particularly for dialysis, limiting their payments for it.
What is your solution?
Daktari Africa is Kenya's first patient-centred telehealth platform. It is a health system that incorporates a web-based platform and mobile app for electronic health records, video consultations with patients, and capacity-building for healthcare workers. It also facilitates in-person services as required. It is essentially a complete, online, health ecosystem for the holistic management of chronic diseases and others.
With over 650 medical doctors and specialists signed up, and working in collaboration with local community health workers, it is also the largest telehealth platform in the region. It provides telemedicine to patients at local health facilities and at home, bringing specialist care to all, even at primary care level.
A multi-award winner, and founded by a practicing medical specialist, Daktari Africa is focused on scientific rigour, and has published in peer-reviewed journals. It sees Africa's potential as a source of valuable data not just for research and development of new medicines, but also for new, effective and affordable patient-centred models of care.
This demo about our community telemedicine model was shared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OODY10xx4HA; this other is about our work with the Youth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h72pZ644zkQ.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Daktari Africa targets three population segments: rural folk, corporate staff members, and the Youth.
Rural folk in the community are typically in their sixties or older in age; therefore have a rising prevalence of chronic diseases; yet have poor access to quality medical care; and have dwindling incomes. We enable them to have dignified lives in their twilight years by giving convenient and affordable access to qualified doctors and specialists, at local health centres and even at their homes.
Corporate employees typically have medical insurance but, due to their location of work or lack of time, have low access to medical care. Given the effects of urbanization, including high work stress, more and more are developing high blood pressure, diabetes, or poor mental health. Daktari Africa gives convenient and early access to quality care, both to them and to their dependents.
A third and important segment is the Youth: we provide mentorship and professional guidance and counselling to prevent cardiovascular disease in the future, to provide mental health support and to stem the use of excess alcohol or illicit drugs, .
