Outbox Startup, mSCAN has been selected amongst the six winners of the Johnson & Johnson Africa Innovation Challenge.
The six winners emerged from a very competitive challenge of nearly 900 applications from 39 countries.
According to Johnson & Johnson, the winners represent “outstanding ingenuity and perseverance” as well as a pathway for scaling operations for long-term sustainability.
The winners include;
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Lifebank (Nigeria): Lifebank receives requests through a digital platform with the intent of delivering the necessary blood to hospitals in less than 45 minutes in a World Health Organisation (WHO) blood transfusion safety compliant cold chain.
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The Hope Initiative (Rwanda): The Hope Initiative builds upon research that has demonstrated the positive influence of intrinsic hope on health outcomes of healthcare workers and their patients. Using a validated metric, the initiative intends to measure hope among nurses and mothers to understand how hope intersects with healthcare worker burnout and perinatal health outcomes.
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Dreet (Botswana): Dreet is a mobile app that enables children in rural Africa to have their hearing tested in real-time by a professional who may live thousands of miles away.
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Crib A’glow (Nigeria): Crib A’glow is a solar-powered, foldable photo-therapy crib provided to hospitals, health centres and parents, even in communities where access to quality healthcare and stable electricity is poor. Crib A’glow allows jaundiced babies to receive important photo-therapy to help them regain health.
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Uganics (Uganda): Uganics manufactures an organic, affordable soap that repels mosquitoes with intent to help prevent the spread of malaria. Uganics’ soap can be used for bathing, washing hands and washing clothes.
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mScan (Uganda): MScan’s device performs ultrasounds through the use of a portable probe and a tablet, laptop, or smartphone, allowing trained healthcare workers and midwives to be prepared for potential risk-factors during delivery.
The winners will receive mentoring and network building support to support the expansion and sustainability of their companies and programmes. Each of the teams will as well get a share of the $300 000 prize pool.
Johnson & Johnson is a healthcare company aimed at improving access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere.
