Pneumonia kills 2000 children every day, many of them in Africa. Most of these deaths are preventable especially if the disease is detected and treated early but that’s simply not the case especially in vulnerable and marginalized communities across our continent.
My guest today has had enough of this situation. So, her and her co-founder set out to do something about it. Her name is Olivia Koburongo and she is the CEO and co-founder of a device and software company known as MamaOpe based in Kampala, Uganda.
Her and her team invented a "smart" jacket that helps with the early detection of pneumonia in children. It uses acoustic technology, supported by an intuitive algorithm, to detect early signs of disease. It is potentially a game changer particularly in contexts where resources are highly constrained.
You can learn more about MamaOpe by visiting: http://mamaope.com/, Twitter @mama_ope and LinkedIn @mamaope medicals.
If you have any thoughts on this episode, or recommendations of African health innovators that you’d like me to host on the show, please reach out to me directly on Twitter @DrSam_Oti, email: sam.oti@alumni.harvard.edu or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-oji-oti.
Please note that The MedxTek Africa Podcast is distinct from Dr. Oti's role as a Senior Program Specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The information provided in this podcast is not medical advice, nor should it be construed or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The MedxTek Africa Podcast, its production team, guests and partners assume no liability for the application of the podcast's content.