Recent health innovations in Ghana 

In the past few years, Ghana has benefit from medical and health related startup that is to help nullify some of the challenges in the health sector and to augment existing structures. There have been recent involvement of the youth coming up with ideas to innovatively improve the health sector and the health of the people. This article is to list and introduce some of these great startups to Ghanaians and the world. Although there may be the need for improvements and introduction of more similar innovations, their contributions cannot be relegated.

1. Icon health system

Icon Health Systems is a multidisciplinary health promotion and disease prevention company that seeks to enhance healthy living. Considering the vast and the astonishing increase in non-communicable diseases in Ghana and Africa this team is running and advocating for quality of life devoid of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension,  stroke etc.

Icon Health last year was a lead agent in most medical outreaches in Ghana, taking screening and educating many in public events like festivals and in churches.

It partnered and rendered several medical screening projects and key agencies including the Diva’s walk, Peace games prior to the elections in 2016. They also organized the peace-health youth summit, partook in Sadafest,  ensured the success of Dr. Malt Health screening and many more.

This year, Icon health is celebrating its 2nd anniversary and want to crown it with the launching of a health award system which will be the first of its kind in Ghana.

2. Bisa App

The Bisa app is an innovative moblie application platform that allows people to easily, by a click on their phone, contact health professionals for advice and care. Bisa, a word in the Ghanaian dialect mean “ask” has been used to depict the usefulness of the app and how it works.

This app is to help people who need medical care but are not able to visit the hospital due to poverty,  long queue at hospitals,  or fear of stigmatization.

It also provide health information that are relevant to the wellbeing of humans.

Bisa now operate in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria on a freebasics platform, requiring no data charges and available on all devices.

In collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, the Bisa app has adopted to expand and meet HIV and AIDS related workplace issues.

Also in October, 2016,  the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology partnered and initiated a “Doctor at your doorstep project” which is to enable students get easy and quick access to health information and solutions to their health challenges.

The startup has build a strong team of health professionals with diverse background to satisfy users in a timely and informative manner.

3. HopeEnough Africa Childhood Cancer initiative www.pdwilsonfoundation

HopeEnough Africa Childhood Cancer Initiative is under the PDWilson Foundation founded by a vibrant Medical Laboratory Scientist, Prince de-Graft Wilson. This is the man who became a scientific icon and inspiration to many after he received scholarship to school at Lunds University, after his participation in the Young Africa Leadership Initiative, YALI program.

The HopeEnough Africa Childhood Cancer Initiative seeks to support and bring hope to children and families with cancer.

“Childhood cancers plunge their victims and families into a state of despair, aggravating the already devastating effect of the cancers themselves. Due to lack of awareness on these conditions, the children/victims are seen as alien or even cursed when diagnosed and are considered doomed to die”.

This initiative was setup as an organisation that will become an icon of hope to these children and families with core mandate to extensively create public awareness of children with cancer, advocate for early treatment and solicit for funds to support treatment.

Through this initiative many children have smile back again and back to school.

4. Quik Medical consult

This is an initiative by a staff nurse to harness the health sector. It “was setup out of passion after realising that most of the medical conditions that reports to our health facilities are easily preventable but because most of these people don’t have adequate knowledge about prevention of these diseases, they end up queuing at the medical facilities out of which many even die”- the leadership has discrimination on their Facebook page.

Through this initiative Quik Medical has reached many Ghanaians, giving them free medical care and to the vunerable. Quik has partnered communities,  rural leaders, queen mothers to screen and provide medical care to their communities.

Quik medical consult has through donation has financed and supported patients, particular children, to undergo surgery and other medical procedures.

The leadership has also been a point of call in medical discourse on radio and television in Ghana. Benson Owusu Atuahene the leader of this initiative has been a great inspiration to many young and upcoming health professionals as his team diversify to partner and make greater impact in Ghana and the world.

Quik Medical has a vision to reach out to the world through health education and promoting the health of children.

Leader can be contacted 0247586344 or email- quikmedicalconsult@yahoo.com

5. DietCare Ghana

“Our lifestyle is getting worse by the day due to nutritional transition and sedentary lifestyle in this era of technology”- DietCare Ghana. DietCare Ghana confronting this limitation has envisioned with unique purpose to demystify the dieting mentality of the public and also helping people to differentiate fact from fiction.

Through its modern website dietcaregh.com the startup has provide readers simple nutritional and health information that significantly influence their choice in dietary options.

Believing in Thomas Edison’s statement, “the doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”, DietCare Ghana want to use it platform to inform the populace on the importance of proper dieting. This is known to avert 60-90% of chronic diseases.

DietCare Ghana- …..not just diet