Conversation with Merlin [email protected] · Thu Nov 09 2023

How can I use USSD to o make quality primary healthcare accessible, affordable and convenient to achieve the best outcomes for as many Africans as possible through the exponential power of technology

To utilize USSD to make quality primary healthcare accessible, affordable, and convenient for as many Africans as possible, here are some strategic steps that can be taken:

  1. Offering Medical Consultation and Information: Develop a USSD platform that provides access to medical consultation and information. This can include information on common illnesses, preventive care, and access to a database of healthcare professionals.

  2. Appointment Scheduling and Reminders: Implement a feature within the USSD platform that allows users to schedule appointments with healthcare professionals and receive reminders for their appointments.

  3. Medicine Ordering and Delivery: Enable users to order medications and have them delivered to their homes through the USSD platform, thus eliminating the need to physically visit a pharmacy.

  4. Diagnostic Testing: Facilitate the collection of diagnostic testing samples directly from patients' residences through the USSD platform, making it easier for individuals to undergo necessary tests without visiting a healthcare facility.

  5. Access to Wellness Services: Provide access to a diverse network of health and services, including gyms, nutrition clinics, wellness centers, and more, through the USSD platform.

  6. Partnerships with Healthcare Providers: Form strategic partnerships with healthcare providers to ensure that quality healthcare services are made available through the USSD platform.

  7. Convenience and Accessibility: Ensure that the USSD platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to individuals with feature phones, making it convenient for people to access healthcare services, regardless of their location or technological capabilities.

By implementing these measures, you can leverage USSD technology to significantly the accessibility, affordability, and convenience of primary healthcare for a wide range of Africans, thereby contributing to improved health outcomes across the continent.

Merchants of cryptocurrencies are increasingly adopting access tools that will not necessarily need the internet in a bid to reach out to the unbanked but potentially useful clientele.These changing innovations may see new customers jump on the bandwagon of cryptos using simple quick codes that allow use of the digital assets without the internet, smartphones or digital sophistication.The new innovations are utilising Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes to enable the not-so-tech-savvy individuals to also enjoy the conveniences brought by the digital assets, which might further accelerate their adoption across the continent, possibly bringing to reality the initial dream of boosting financial inclusion.One such innovation is the recently launched Machankura, which enables users to set up a Bitcoin wallet by just dialling a USSD code. They can also send, receive, or cash out the popular cryptocurrency using the same code, at about one percent transaction fee.Read:Lessons on digital currencies from mobile moneyThose with smartphones and an internet connection but arent tech-savvy can also use a WhatsApp chat bot to set up and operate the wallet if they prefer not to use the USSD code, which is available on all phones. Advertisement Driven by necessityKgothatso Ngako, founder and CEO of Machankura, says the idea was borne out of necessity as many people on the continent use feature phones, which may not comfortably access the internet or run the needed applications for Bitcoin trade.We wanted to give anyone with an interest to send and receive Bitcoin the ability to do so regardless of what type of device they have, whether its a feature phone, or a cheap android device, Ngako told The EastAfrican.Another platform is Kotani Pay, which also utilises USSD technology to give people access to a blockchain wallet that they can use to send, receive and cash out stablecoins cryptocurrencies backed by physical assets.Their CEO and co-founder Felix Macharia told The EastAfrican that although their primary customers are businesses, the innovation was also inspired by the large number of Africans who still use feature phones as their primary way of communicating.Its because of the unique nature of Africa, in terms of the technology gap thats been there as majority of Africans still use feature phones, he said.Read:Why cryptocurrency is becoming popular in AfricaLatest statistics from the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) show that as of 2021, only 49 percent of phones used in Sub-Saharan Africa were smartphones, although this is projected to rise to 61 percent by 2025.This means access verhalf of Africans couldnt use cryptocurrencies.The ability to operate crypto wallets using USSD will also significantly save on transaction costs, especially for cross-border transactions, giving banks and international money transfer agencies a run for their money.AfricaNenda estimates that the cost of transferring money from one country to another in Africa is somewhere between 12 to 18 percent, more than double the global average of six to seven percent. Crypto innovations are offering the same service at a one percent fee.Kotani Pay, for instance, is already being used by some charity organisations for cash transfers to refugees or extremely needy people on the continent due to the low transaction fees.According to Macharia, the USSD-based solutions can also help accelerate the gig economy by enabling micro-task workers, who are mostly youth, to process small cross-border payments at much cheaper costs.Other use cases include access to loans and savings, as some people prefer to hold these stablecoins in their blockchain wallets as a hedge against rapidly depreciating local currencies.Through these use cases and others that may come up in the future, cryptocurrencies may finally contribute to boosting financial inclusion in Africa, where about 45 percent of adults dont have a bank account, according to the World

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We are excited to announce that Ajim Capital has invested in Clafiya, a health tech startup in Nigeria that is fulfilling the SDG-3 goals of accessible and affordable healthcare for all.Why we invested in ClafiyaClafiya connects patients with community health workers, making it easier for people to access primary healthcare services from the comfort of their own homes. This is particularly important for people living in rural or remote areas, where access to healthcare can be limited. Residents of urban areas who experience stress from traffic and increased work demands also benefit from the convenience of easily accessing medical services, saving them time.The platform also enables the hassle-free delivery of medicine to patients' homes, eliminating the need for exhausting trips to the pharmacy. In addition, the startup provides a comprehensive healthcare service that conveniently collects diagnostic testing samples directly from patients' residences.Clafiya seamlessly connects users with a diverse network of health and wellness services, including gyms, nutrition clinics, wellness centers, and more. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders like i-Fitness, Khairo Diet Clinic, Blueroomcare, Pharmarun, and Famasi Africa, Clafiya ensures access to top-quality well-being providers.The Clafiya platform is easy to use, and patients can access it via the web or mobile application or USSD code. This makes it convenient for people to access healthcare services, no matter where they are located. By providing home-based primary healthcare, Clafiya is helping to improve the life expectancy of people living in Africa, and also reducing healthcare expenditure.How big is this problem Clafiya is trying to solve?A report by the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) in 2021 revealed that less than half of the African population is unable to access the healthcare they need. In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately one-sixth of the population lives more than two hours away from a public hospital, and one in eight people is at least one hour away from the nearest health centre. According to data from the Nigeria Health Facility Registry (NHFR), Nigeria has a total of 39914 operational hospitals and clinics that serve a population of over 200 million people. Clafiya is helping to bridge the gap between those who require healthcare and those who can access it.On average, Africans spend between 6-8 hours traveling and waiting to see a physician. With Clafiyas' solution, individuals can be matched with a doctor quickly, on a virtual consultation or referral to in-person care.The WHO recommends a ratio of 1 doctor for every 600 patients, but Nigeria falls short with a ratio of 1 doctor for every 10,000 patients. There are several factors that are responsible for this: poor remuneration resulting in the high exodus of healthcare workers, poor infrastructures to work with which can be demotivating as well, and, tedious working conditions. Clafiya, on its part, has partnered with Health Practitioners and specialists who work directly with them to make healthcare accessible to everyone anywhere in Nigeria. Clafiya is also able to cut down on administrative processes by storing medical records as digital files that are shared easily with consultants.Clafiya has experienced remarkable revenue growth, with a consistent 15% month-on-month increase. This achievement stems from providing services to over 3,000 individuals and numerous businesses that rely on Clafiya to offer health insurance to their employees. Furthermore, Clafiya also profits from its partnerships with pharmacies, health centres, and wellness providers, contributing to its overall success.Clafiya has also introduced the Clafiya Wallet, which allows users to deposit a designated amount and pay solely for the healthcare services they require, as and when needed.What lies ahead Clafiya's value proposition has the potential to greatly improve healthcare access and outcomes

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28 May 2021 Focusing on a diverse range of innovations that were rolled in countries like Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Mozambique, they investigate each...13 Dec 2022 USAID Announces a $415 Million Partnership With Five African Nations to Accelerate Primary Health Care Home News & Information Press Releases...Missing:USSD | Show results with: USSDClafiya connects patients with community health workers, making it easier for people to access primary healthcare services from the comfort of their own homes.by TFR de Wit2022Cited by 2 The MCF was established in 2009 as a blended fund aimed at increasing access to capital for primary healthcare providers in Africa. It was the first debt fund...27 Aug 2023 This means access ver half of Africans couldn't use cryptocurrencies. The ability to operate crypto wallets using USSD will also...PDF | Lowering costs and easy access to health information is important to public healthcare workers (PHWs) and patients who are both offline and online.by AI Ojo2018Cited by 35 These improvements have been geared at reducing inequalities in health care access, increased primary health care facilities, enactment of...by RE Baloyi2018Cited by 19 This study evaluated the feasibility of a 24-h mobile reporting system, designed for speeding up malaria notifications, from primary healthcare...4 May 2021 Uganda's leading telemedicine service provider, Rocket Health, has introduced a new interactive USSD short code, *280#, to ease access to...GiftedMom offers health information tips and monitoring services to pregnant women and nursing mothers via an assistant mobile app, web, USSD and SMS. GEOGRAPHY.6 pages

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