Tech

Good news Africa! Bloodless malaria test now possible!!

Who would have thought decades ago that bloodless test for malaria was possible? African youths are taking the innovation industry by storm. Here’s why

Published

5 years ago

June 19, 2018

Africa News Watch

Who would have thought decades ago that bloodless test for malaria was possible? African youths are taking the innovation industry by storm. Here’s why.

A 24-year-old Ugandan software engineer has won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Brian Gitta is the first Ugandan to win the prestigious Africa Prize, and the youngest winner to date.

Gitta and his team developed Matibabu, a device which tests for malaria without drawing blood.

Matibabu, which means ‘medical centre’ in Swahili, is a low-cost, reusable device that clips onto a patient’s finger, requiring no specialist expertise to operate. The results are available within one minute on a mobile phone that is linked to the device.

Gitta wins the first prize of UK £25,000. At an awards ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 June 2018, four finalists from across sub-Saharan Africa delivered presentations, before Africa Prize judges and a live audience voted for the most promising engineering innovation.

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation. It encourages talented sub-Saharan African engineers, from all disciplines, to develop innovations that address crucial problems in their communities in a new, appropriate way.

Gitta and his team decided to develop the device after missing lectures, having had malaria several times. Matibabu is currently undergoing testing in partnership with a national hospital in Uganda, and is sourcing suppliers for the sensitive magnetic and laser components required to scale up production.

Matibabu is aimed at individuals, health centres and diagnostic suppliers. The team also aims to set up the device on the streets to allow people to do a single test at a time.

Through their participation in the Africa Prize, the Matibabu team have been approached by international researchers offering support and are currently writing up their ground-breaking findings into an academic paper, to be published within the next few months.

“We are very proud of this year’s winner. It’s a perfect example of how engineering can unlock development – in this case by improving healthcare,” said Rebecca Enonchong, Africa Prize judge. “Matibabu is simply a gamechanger.”

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Tech

Nigerian crypto startup, KoinWa launches Web3 education platform for varsity students

Published

14 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian cryptocurrency startup, KoinWa has announced launching a Web3 education platform, EduBlok, with the aim of empowering university students with relevant and beneficial skills.

The CEO of the crypto company, Hakeem Disu, who made the announcement, said the new platform was the firm’s way of contributing to the educational development of Nigerian students through its education arm.

“EduBlok provides users with blockchain education and training, and helps other educational institutions design blockchain and artificial intelligence curricula,” Disu said.

Disu, who is both a trained teacher and author of the e-book “How blockchain is solving real life African problems,” said Edublok, which is funded by KoinWa, had already impacted over 10,000 beneficiaries in university-underserved communities, as well as given out more than 15,000 e-books.

“Blockchain been the next big thing in the technology space, but is not included in the education curriculum of Nigeria,” Disu said.

“EduBlok is looking to solve this problem by designing the academic curriculum and textbooks, and also providing blockchain education and entrepreneurship skills,” he said.

Tech

Nigerian insurtech startup, ETAP partners AIICO to redefine car insurance

Published

2 days ago

October 2, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian insurtech startup, ETAP has entered into a partnership with frontline insurance firm, AIICO Insurance which will make it easier for Nigerians to to buy car insurance and make claims, driving increased penetration of car insurance in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ETAP, Ibraheem Babalola, who announced the partnership with AIICO, said with the new arrangement, buying and claiming on car insurance would be as easy as “taking a picture, providing drivers with access to a range of daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly plans to choose from.”

“We are proud to collaborate with AIICO Insurance on this transformative collaboration,” Babalola said.

“The app’s ability to reward safe driving habits while providing rewards for doing so as well as quick access to insurance purchase and claims payment will undoubtedly empower car owners and encourage responsible behaviour on the roads.

“We invite everyone to download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play Store and experience a new dimension of driving,” he added.

Also commenting on the partnership, Gbenga Ilori, head of retail business of AIICO Insurance, said:

“We are elated to unveil our collaboration with ETAP, marking the inception of a transformative era in car insurance. By harnessing the power of gamification, we are poised to shift perceptions around car ownership and driving in Nigeria.

“This initiative will not only elevate the driving journey but also significantly enhance safety on our roads”.

The ETAP app uses machine learning to build intelligent risk profiles that determine appropriate premiums for each driver, allowing them to achieve lower premiums by driving safely, the company said.

By using advanced telematics, the driving experience is gamified to improve driving behaviour and drivers can earn Safe Driving Points that can be exchanged for shopping vouchers for the most in-demand retail outlets, fuel, cinema and concert tickets, and other exciting experiences, the company added.