Rahona

17 million people worldwide die of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) every year. People from low- and middle-income countries are at higher risk due to a broken healthcare system. In Madagascar, there are 1.8 doctors for every 10,000 people. And doctors misdiagnose1 out of 3 patients as not having a heart disease. The rapid global urbanization brings environmental issues such as the increasing levels of air pollution, which is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, in cities like Antananarivo, Accra or Cairo.

Rahona is developing a health monitoring system that allows health professionals to manage patients remotely and detect cardiovascular diseases in ambulatory settings through a smart wristband. Our prediction engine, based on deep learning technology, uses data from biosensors in the smart wristband to achieve +90% accuracy in detecting CVDs. Our aim is to drastically reduce the incidence of deaths from CVDs.

Urbanization is occurring at an unprecedented rate in developing countries. In fact, the United Nations estimates that more than 90% of future urban population growth will be in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) Madagascar’s population is expected to double by 2050. Its considerable growth rate coupled with the rapid urbanization and an inadequate health system poses challenges such as:

• Shortage of skilled labour

• High service cost

• Lack of focus on prevention and proactive care

• Non-use of health data analytics

These problems need to be solved in line with SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG 11: Inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. Additionally, the lifestyle of urban residents has the potential to fuel an increase in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in cities. Rahona’s focus is in developing a system that would allow the prevention of CVD which is still the leading cause of death in the world.

Our target customers are:

• (1) Individuals: people that are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), people that have CVD (patients), people that are conscious about their health. In Madagascar, the total addressable market value is around $850Million with a short-term available market value of $75Million targeting the capital city Antananarivo only. These numbers are expected to increase significantly due to the high rate of population growth.

• (2) Health professionals/providers: these are public health centres and hospitals (more than 3000 of them), private clinics and dispensaries, healthcare-focused non-profit organizations.

We believe that healthcare is a social good and that all citizens should have equal access to the appropriate medical care. We are developing:

•  A health information system [HIS] for healthcare providers: enabling them to capture in real-time and store patient information in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and to manage multiple patients remotely – away from the hospital corridors. 

• A smart wristband for patients that will continuously monitor their physiological state, heart rate and blood pressure and relay the information to healthcare providers in real-time. The data is captured by photoplethysmography and electrocardiography biosensors. Our prediction engine uses the data from biosensors to detect CVD with +90% accuracy. This is a low-cost, non-invasive and widely-scalable technology that will help  reduce the impact of the waning skilled labour and reach underserved communities who have little-to-no healthcare access. Patients will also be able to access their health information through a Personal Health Record (PHR)

Rahona is a pioneer in developing a health information system and designing health wearable in Madagascar and in Africa at large. We bring the care to the patient, instead of the patient going to the care. Our approach stems from a deep understanding of the needs of individuals and the challenges that healthcare providers face. There are 2 main aspect of our solution:

• Community-based: we bring our healthcare technology to both traditional and non-traditional providers. We adapt to the preferred destination of the patients whether it is the workplace, a local pharmacy, a local community center or private dispensaries. This also allows health providers to reach more people, and consequently, enhance their productivity while reducing labor-related costs. They will also have access to Electronic Medical Records (EMR) of their patients-- in Madagascar, most health providers still use paper-based solutions to manage patients.

• Connected: citizens are connected to healthcare providers through a smart wristband which continuously monitor their state. The smart wristband provides critical health data but is also able to receive notifications from healthcare providers about actions need to be taken by the patients e.g going to the hospital or exercising more. Our goal is to provide the right care for the right patient at the right time-- for the right price.

We are using deep learning to detect cardiovascular diseases and wearables to monitor the patients in ambulatory settings. Doctors misdiagnose 1 out of 3 patients, Rahona’s prediction engine achieve +90% accuracy in detecting CVD. A smart wristband equipped with biosensors such as photoplethysmography and electrocardiogram sensors continuously monitors the physiological state of patients allowing doctors to monitor them in real time and take actions to prevent complications or strokes.

There are the 4 main problems previously outlined and how our solutions address them:

• Shortage of skilled labor: our technology allows health providers to manage multiple patients remotely, increasing their reach and productivity.

• High service cost: non-traditional health providers such as personal support workers, occupational therapists, midwives, etc. can make use of our system when acute care is not required.

• Lack of focus on prevention and proactive care: cardiovascular diseases are detected early and actions can be taken to prevent complications or strokes. This reduces the need for hospitalization, thereby decreasing stress, improving the patient experience and lessening the chance of acquiring infections in hospital.

Non-use of health data analytics: we provide health providers and patients with the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and the Personal Health Record (PHR) which contains health history, symptoms, treatment history and other information. The data can then be analyzed and insights used for decision-making process in order to deliver care that is tailored to the needs of the individuals. This will help us reach our goal of providing the right care for the right patient at the right time—for the right price.

The solution is currently being piloted at a (1) private dispensary in Antananarivo, Madagascar. 20 people are being monitored using the smart wristband, providing actionable data to the dispensary.

In a year, we will be serving 100 health centers and 10,000 patients throughout Madagascar. In five years, our goal is to serve over 1,000 health centers and 1 million people. We will achieve these numbers if we manage to capture 30% of the total addressable market. Being a pioneer in the industry gives us considerable advantage and competitive leverage.

Our goal within the next year:

• Finalize the product and the field tests

• Secure first round of funding with a goal of 25,000 USD

• Hire additional developers and engineers to the team

• Implement our solution to 50 health centers in Madagascar

Our goal within the next five years:

• Secure partnerships with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization and other non-profit to generate traction and facilitate market penetration

• Expand our services to the +3,000 public health centers in Madagascar

• Sell 100,000 wristbands by 2021 and 1 million by 2025 throughout sub-Saharan Africa

• Diversify to cater for Health and Wellbeing within/for Enterprises and generate a gross revenue of 70 million USD by 2025

There is a clear need for a digital health solution that brings care to the patients and solve problems that rapid urbanization will bring over the next few years. Our solution consists of: two applications 1 for health providers and 1 (optional) for users and the smart wristband. Our team has the technical know-how in developing these products, our main challenge is in funding the development and distribution of the smart wristband which also requires us to deal with suppliers. Solve would be a key ally in guiding us through the process of securing funding and managing relationships with potential partners.

Until we can secure funding, we will develop the smart wristbands when we receive orders for them. Rahona will run on the revenue generated through previous sales. We will not need to deal with mass distribution because our finances will not allow us to do that. Securing funding will be a stepping stone in transforming the healthcare landscape in Madagascar because we will be able to scale and accelerate market penetration.

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We are a diverse team in terms of background and technical-know how. We are from Madagascar, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa so we all have a different take on how the problems manifest in our countries. We are strategically positioned to take advantage of this opportunity and deliver this product to Africa at-large. The team is composed of:

1 developer and 2 engineers:

• Have been involved with multiple social projects and have been awarded by the Organisation Internationale de La Francophonie in 2017, for building an application that helps governments prevent cyber-attacks.
• Have experience in engineering solutions for electrical and electronic parts, subsystems, integrated circuitry, and algorithms based on established engineering principles and in accordance with development technology practices and guidelines.

3 advisors:

• Possessing deep knowledge about the African startup ecosystem. Experienced in building cross-functional teams in Multicultural environments and possessing a deep passion for Emerging Markets and Growth-leading Economies.
• Extensively experienced in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases and working with minority populations
• Specialized in business intelligence, Advanced Analytics, Business Consulting for digital transformations

• 1 private clinic in Antananarivo where we are testing our products with 20 patients.
• African Leadership University, Mauritius where we are developing our product.

•  Sale of the hardware unit (smart wristband) to individuals: the estimated price of 1 wristband with the basic features is $50.
• Software subscription for health providers: monthly subscription for health providers in order to access data and analytics about patients.

For 1 smart wristband sold, we can produce 1 new one. We are planning to raise funds in order to accelerate this process and be able to have cash to process bigger orders. Our software costs are not as significant as our hardware costs. Our goal is to sell 100,000 wristbands by 2021, capturing 3% of the total addressable market and generating a gross revenue of around 7 Million USD or 21 Billion Ariary.

• To learn how to build strategic partnerships with key companies and institutions to drive strong business growth.

• Connect to relevant stakeholders [investors, research companies, suppliers, policymakers]

• Receive technology mentorship from industry experts

• Neurosky: to implement their solutions to our line of product. Neurosky produces biosensors for wearable and mobile device makers looking to create mHealth solutions that can really make a difference in people’s lives — and really stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
• International Health Organizations/World Health Organization/NGOs/ Ministry of Health, Madagascar: to provide expert technical advice, field level implementation assistance, and financial support.
• Electronic Suppliers/Manufacturers for mass production.

One of the problems Rahona is solving in the healthcare industry is the lack of data and non-use of data analytics to guide decisions in Madagascar and Africa at large. We are pioneering the effort of making use of data with Rahona with our solutions for healthcare providers and patients.

We provide healthcare providers and patients with the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and the Personal Health Record (PHR) which contains health history, symptoms, treatment history and other information about patients. The data can then be analyzed and insights used for decision-making process in order to deliver care that is tailored to the needs of the individuals. This will help us reach our goal of providing the right care for the right patient at the right time—for the right price.

Our hardware solution which is a smart wristband that continuously monitors the patients' physiological state provide the data to be analyzed through biosensors. We use that data in our prediction engine that is powered by deep learning technology in order to detect cardiovascular diseases in patients. While doctors misdiagnose patients 30% of the time, our system is accurate more than 90% of the time.

We leverage AI to help people make better decisions and to save more lives. Rahona is applying for AI Innovations Prize, seeking for 25K USD in funding, because it will help us accelerate our growth and maximize our impact in local communities in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.

Rahona is a pioneer in developing a health information system and designing health wearable in Madagascar and in Africa at large. We bring the care to the patient, instead of the patient going to the care. Our approach stems from a deep understanding of the needs of individuals and the challenges that healthcare providers face. There are 2 main aspect of our solution:

• Community-based: we bring our healthcare technology to both traditional and non-traditional providers. We adapt to the preferred destination of the patients whether it is the workplace, a local pharmacy, a local community center or private dispensaries. This also allows health providers to reach more people, and consequently, enhance their productivity while reducing labor-related costs.
  

• Connected: citizens are connected to healthcare providers through a smart wristband which continuously monitor their state. The smart wristband provides critical health data but is also able to receive notifications from healthcare providers about actions need to be taken by the patients e.g going to the hospital or exercising more. Our goal is to provide the right care for the right patient at the right time-- for the right price.

We leverage AI and data to empower communities to provide care for locals and so that they live a healthy life. The Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize will help us accelerate our growth and maximize our impact in local communities in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.

We are pioneering the effort of data-based decision making in the healthcare industry in Madagascar, through Rahona with our solutions for healthcare providers and patients.

We provide healthcare providers and patients with the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and the Personal Health Record (PHR) which contains health history, symptoms, treatment history and other information about patients. The data can then be analyzed and insights used for decision-making process in order to deliver care that is tailored to the needs of the individuals. This will help us reach our goal of providing the right care for the right patient at the right time—for the right price.

Our hardware solution which is a smart wristband that continuously monitors the patients' physiological state provide the data to be analyzed through biosensors. We use that data in our prediction engine that is powered by deep learning technology in order to detect cardiovascular diseases in patients. While doctors misdiagnose patients 30% of the time, our system is accurate more than 90% of the time.

Our team has extensive experience in security, we have designed cybersecurity applications for governments through the International Organization of Francophonie and we will ensure that data is protected from unauthorized access and corruption throughout its lifecycle.

We leverage AI to help people make better decisions and to save more lives. Rahona is applying for Innospark Ventures Prize because it will help us accelerate our growth and maximize our impact in local communities in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.