Poor accessibility to healthcare among EAC cross-border truckers, traders and border resident populations are a result of their remote residency and work settings. This situation exposes them to great medical risks, which in-turn increase the risk of cross-border transmission of diseases and epidemics across East Africa, affecting integration efforts and cross-border trade. Now, a possible solution is being developed as part of the EAC integration process.
Supported by the East African Community and GIZ through the Incubator for Integration and Development in East Africa (IIDEA) and the African Development Bank Group through its Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund, LyfPlus Limited is developing the "EAC Cross-Border Telemedicine Platform Project".
The project aims at improving healthcare accessibility for vulnerable population groups, including pregnant women, children, cross-border truck drivers, traders, and border residents along the East African transport corridors and at border posts. The platform will integrate virtual physician consultation, hospital appointment booking, diagnosis and e-prescription with various healthcare providers to allow users across the EAC region to access important medical services instantly and conveniently in one platform.
Currently, the LyfPlus team is rolling out the first version of the integrated platform for testing and has onboarded selected doctors to participate. The project will also onboard a selected group of patients necessary for product validation in assessment of the platform towards reaching product market-fit. The platform will also feature a voice call and a USSD application to include patients that do not have internet access, in reaching a greater proportion of the target beneficiaries.
The project will contribute to better accessibility of health services. In particular, it will improve access to medical specialists for remote regions and vulnerable population groups across the East African region. It will have a direct impact on maternal and child health and chronic disease patients living in marginalized settings. This can reduce child and maternal mortality rates, and contribute to greater continuity of health care for patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes or HIV.
Please visit https://eactelemedicine.lyfplus.com/ for more information about the project.
LyfPlus is a partner of the EAC-GIZ IIDEA project. IIDEA incubates small-scale regional integration projects which are proposed and implemented by civil society and private sector across East Africa. IIDEA provides technical and financial support to innovative projects across East Africa that highlight and contribute towards East African integration.