Africa ICT Right (AIR) emerged as the best E-Health Company at the maiden Africa Technovate Awards held in Accra, Ghana recently.
The Awards event, organised by the Africa Integrated Development Communications Consultancies (AIDEC), also saw some 14 other institutions and two individuals honoured for their outstanding contribution to the digital transformation of Africa.
AIR competed against NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme) and AmaGhanaonline, and the emerged as the most outstanding in e-Health.
The award was in recognition of Africa ICT Right’s livelihood interventions and its ingenuity in leveraging technology to improve the wellbeing of patients and revolutionizing healthcare delivery, diagnosis, scanning, and reducing the high mortality rate among pregnant women and infants in Ghana, using mobile phone solutions to improve the local healthcare system.
Africa ICT Right (AIR) is an ICT-oriented NGO established in Ghana which leverages technology to combat development challenges in the areas of education, health, gender, agriculture and youth empowerment.
The company has rolled out several of digital innovations and partnered with international organisations like Google Inc., Motorola, ATC Ghana, Vodafone, Microsoft, Close the Gap, WeTech, Medic Mobile, etc. on ICT, health and education projects.
So far, the company has reached over 18,642 students, donated 469 computers, empowered 1,317 pregnant women, covered over 80 schools, trained 201 teachers and 782 youth.
But the particular innovation that won it the Technovate Award was one of its flagship programs called Mobile 4 Life, which was initiated in 2016 and implemented in 2018 in collaboration with Medic Mobile and the Methodist Health Directorate in Bebu and Auras within the Atwima Kwanoma District in the Ashanti region.
Executive Director of AIR, Daniel Kweky Ganyoame told Techgh24 that Mobile 4 Life focuses on delivering quality and affordable healthcare to improve the local healthcare system in three main areas, namely – Reducing Maternal and Neonatal mortality – Improving Child Health and Strengthening Community Health Systems.
“We donated a laptop each to both health facilities to enable them register new pregnancies, track antenatal visits, flag a high-risk pregnancy and report deliveries and outcomes. We also organised workshop to train midwives and community health workers in the two hospitals,” he added.
According to him, the award is an honor to his team and it gives them a sense of pride, adding that “we dedicate the award to every volunteer and team member who have put in their best to make this possible, our partnersMedic Mobile and Methodist Health Directorate, donors and the health facilities.”
He said the award will surely motivate them to do more and further progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 3.
AIR was created in 2007, out of the belief that the modern world is in the midst of a profound transformation in which modern technology such as personal computers, mobile phones and Internet play critical role. Yet, there is great inequality in the distribution of these tools, which is detrimental not only to underserved communities, but also to our society.
The company partners with donors, governmental and private institutions, NGOs and local communities to address this detriment through its integrated development programs that provide technological solutions and support directed at educational and health facilities especially in less privileged areas where the digital divide is at its greatest.
Other AIR innovations
AIR has embarked on several other programs which include:
Girls in Tech Program: This program aims to close the gender gap in the technology sector by educating, inspiring, and equipping high school girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in computing fields.
iTeach ICT Program: This program seeks to equip STEM teachers with the relevant skills and content to aid them to integrate ICT into their teaching and learning to make learning interesting and fun.
Computers 4 Change: This program seeks to solicit and distribute low-cost refurbished computers with relevant open source educational software to schools in underserved communities where the digital divide is the greatest.
Connecting the Unconnected: This program seeks to create a replicable low-cost ICT centre model in deprived communities which can be used throughout Ghana and Africa.
AgricTech 4 All: This program works with our partners to organize sustainable agriculture training among the farming communities to upskill smallholder farmers by sharing affordable, organic and environmentally friendly farming techniques to help these farmers transform their land and improve their livelihood through the use of our mobile app.
