M-AFYA
Problem: In this group project, I worked with two other designers to improve the way that medicines are protected, dispensed, distributed and/or taken in sub-Saharan Africa. Through our research about this problem, we set out to design a comprehensive system that extends the reach of primary medical care to Kenya's rural areas.
Solution: M-Afya is a system that uses telemedicine, boda taxis, and mobile banking technology to improve the reach of primary medical care in rural Kenya.
Team Members: Mallory Barkocy, Paige Cameron, Wyeth Augustine-Marceil
The FACTS
The average clinic wait is 4 hours + 35 minutes
44% of rural Kenyans are unemployed
1 in 5 ill Kenyans did not go to a hospital or clinic due to the distance of the nearest health facility
the Research
We researched articles and journals to learn more about Sub-Saharan Africa. We learned that:
- SMS phones are more common than smart phones
- Limited healthcare data in rural areas
- Medicine distribution isn't consistent
- Long wait times for clinics
We interviewed individuals with experience in African countries and health systems.
Dany - Senegal
Local entrepreneur + patient in system
Phil - Tanzania
Medicine distribution + health campaigns
Dr. Hamm - Kenya
Doctor in hospital system
We were inspired by these thriving Kenyan initiatives.
M-PESA (Safaricom) is mobile banking for SMS phones.
72% of Kenyans living on less than $1.25 a day use M-pesa.
Motorcycle Taxis (also known as Bodas) are inexpensive transport for roads impassible by car.
14.4 million people ride bodas every day in Kenya.
Mobile Consultation reduce the need for in person visits by 75%.
In 2015 Kenya launched a telemedicine initiative to serve the rural poor.
Neal - Nigeria
Design thinking specialist
Teckla - Kenya
Connection to the medical community
Caroline - Kenya
Grew up in rural villages
our System
M-Afya is a mobile platform that uses existing cellular technology to connect Kenyans needing care with consultations, supplies, and medical transport through a joint partnership between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Safaricom (M-Pesa).
M-Afya patients can request phone consultations with a paid medical professional to gauge the severity of their condition.
M-Afya delivers medical supplies to patients such as GSK medicine, mosquito nets, and first aid.
If needed, M-Afya offers transportion via boda boda to the nearest hospital or clinic.
our Pitch
By bridging the resource gap, M-Afya will empower the millions currently out of reach to take their wellbeing into their own hands.
M-Afya will train boda boda drivers in road safety, motorcycle maintenance, and first aid; while providing steady, formal employment to drivers.
Overcrowded hospitals and long lines plague developing countries' health systems. By using M-Afya to consult with doctors via phone, fewer patients will have to physically visit health centers.
Bodas, mobile banking, and telemedicine have taken Kenya by storm, and neighboring countries are catching on too. As these industries expand, M-Afya can grow with them.
By keeping tabs on the requests it receives, M-Afya will be able to collect unprecedented medical distribution data, and react to better supply areas with specific needs.
see the PROCESS
To see some of our process throughout the project, click on the image below.
