Providing access to medical testing through mobile and logistics technology

Shamsudeen, a medical student and intern, has witnessed first-hand the healthcare challenges facing communities in Nigeria. During his internship, he quickly realised many patients were travelling for hours to access basic healthcare. And this was without the added challenge a global pandemic soon brought to his wards, colleagues and patients.

In March 2020, the Nigerian Government declared a total lockdown. Shortly after this, the 100 Women In Tech initiative in the country organised a hackathon competition called Hack the Crisis Nigeria. The National Information and Technology Development Agency sponsored the event, which focused on using tech to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Denovo Health Rides were inspired to start their team by this event and after witnessing the challenges in providing quality healthcare in rural Nigeria.

The health tech start-up uses mobile and logistics technology to provide access to medical testing, including for COVID-19. The project uses tech to identify where medical testing is needed and provide a courier service to collect samples that will be tested in quality laboratories. The impact is more accurate, speedy diagnosis in rural communities.