- GE Healthcare and Kenya-based startup Afya Rekod have entered a strategic collaboration to transform care delivery through improved access to personal health data
- Afya Rekod said they would focus on Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, where they will give patients an accessible record of their health history
- The access will include radiological images by enabling hospitals and diagnostic centres to host health records securely on one platform through a digital application
- Afya Rekod was founded in Kenya in 2019 and operates in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Zambia and the United States
US-based GE Healthcare and Kenya-based startup Afya Rekod have entered a strategic collaboration to transform care delivery through improved access to personal health data.
In a statement, Afya Rekod said they would focus on Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, giving patients an accessible record of their health history. The company has a health record management platform built to assist users with better healthcare services.
The access will include radiological images by enabling hospitals and diagnostic centres to host health records securely on one platform through a digital application.
It further enables patients and clinicians to access data and generate clinical, operational, and financial insights that provide a more holistic view of the patient.
“This is a patient-driven platform that puts them at the core of all services. They can capture, store, access and own their health records, which has multiple benefits including reducing the cost of repeating medical tests,” the partners said.
Afya Rekod’s CEO and Founder John Kamara said their vision is to enable families to have access to their medical records virtually and access them any time, in a matter of seconds.
“The partnership with GE will allow for a seamless flow of data from the equipment directly to the app and into patients’ hands. The app will also allow clinicians to view data and share with other experts, enabling them to make better-informed diagnoses and decisions.”
At the same time, Eyong Ebai, General Manager Sub-Saharan Africa, GE Healthcare, noted that through the deal, they would work on data accessibility to help create insights for better, more targeted, more individualised patient care.
“Startups, the private sector, and the public must all come together to further Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital healthcare journey, to the benefit of millions of people. This app and partnership support that journey.”
Afya Rekod receives funding
The Exchange Africa recently reported that Afya Rekod had raised $2million in Seed funding to expand its business and speed up the launch of its patient portal.
The company’s Founder, John Kamara, said the investment would help them achieve their mission of empowering patients, giving them access to their health data, and connecting with the health ecosystem, including hospitals, pharmacies, insurance, and beyond.
“For the past one and a half years, we’ve singularly focused on building a dynamic platform that streamlines health records with analytics and provides access to specialised clinics and experts. This delivers high-quality healthcare in a way that is critical for this moment,” Kamara said
Mac Venture Capital led the fundraising. The US-based seed-stage venture capital firm invests in technology startups, leveraging shifts in cultural trends and behaviours. Next Chymia, an Asian private firm that focuses on blockchain-based companies, also took part in the fundraising.
MaC Venture Capital Managing partner Marlon Nichols said they were attracted to Afya Rekod because of its commitment to patient-centred health innovations and addressing the gaps of current healthcare issues.
“The pandemic has pressed the fast-forward button, bringing an urgency into health data accessibility and analytics. This is a global problem that innovative private companies like Afya Rekod can address. We’re thrilled to partner with the team to tackle this challenging problem in healthcare,” he said.
Afya Rekod was founded in Kenya in 2019 and operates in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Zambia and the United States. It has over 150,000 users in 5 countries and is accessed via an app (android and ios) and web portal.
