SSI Molecular Lab and Health Promotion

One reason for poor pandemic response in Nigeria is lack of adequate diagnostic capacity with less than 15 laboratories with capacity for molecular diagnosis for more than 200 million people. Chronic poor investment has led to derelict health infrastructure with high morbidity and mortality rate from infectious and non communicable diseases which are mostly preventable. High disease burden reduces productivity entrenching a vicious cycle of poverty. Nigeria has one of the lowest life expectancy of 54 years as a consequence.

SSI molecular laboratory with capacity for molecular diagnosis and research will help expand diagnostic capacity, improve pandemic preparedness. 

Creation of a program which provides basic health services and linkage to a social health insurance program for sustainability is crucial in an environment with dismal primary health indices. 

These solutions, if scaled globally, will reduce disability and death from diseases leading to improved health outcomes, economic output and quality of life 

Nigeria has the largest number of people living in extreme poverty in the world with nearly 50% living in extreme poverty of less than $1.90 a day. Due to poor financing of the health sector with up to 75% from out of pocket payments, there is low epidemic preparedness and diagnostic capacity.With COVID-19 crisis, Nigeria had around 200-300 test capacity per day for a country of estimated 200 million people. Low life expectancy of 54 years can be attributed to diseases, preventable and curable high on the list is hypertension and related diseases of stroke and ischemic heart disease. Of WHO’s six regions, the African region has the highest prevalence of hypertension ~ 46% of adults aged 25 and above. Sub-Saharan Africa bears highest burden of stroke in the world with 1-month fatality rates of up to 40%. Stroke among young adults has devastating consequences because of  longer lasting impact of stroke-related disability on quality of life and productivity. Lack of awareness, low levels of education, poor primary health care facilities and initiatives, lack of access to health resources due to financial limitations, dearth of medical personnel with one doctor to 40,000 people are major contributors to this unfortunate situation.

To improve access to much needed diagnostic services,  SSI Molecular Laboratory will provide molecular diagnostics for endemic viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Lassa, Dengue, Ebola, the coronaviruses including COVID-19 , the hepatitis viruses, HIV, tuberculosis; will serve as referral center for clinics, hospitals and other laboratories, training local lab scientists up to date with modern diagnostic sciences; research center to develop in-house molecular tests with collaboration with international laboratory experts.

The SSI health promotion project involves community outreach projects which entails education and screening for cardiovascular risk factors;micro social health insurance with extensive preventive health coverage and hypertension treatment. 

SSI mobile health platform: A web based platform with an app feature for mobile phone. All the features of the entire project - enrollment in the insurance scheme, virtual visits via telemedicine, premiums from digital payments, medications from online pharmacy will all be incorporated on this platform
 

Use of AI to track potential disease outbreaks based on cluster of test results from SSI molecular lab; epidemiological study of disease incidence and prevalence from enrolled in the health insurance scheme; during mass health outreaches - develop prediction models for high risk for developing cardiovascular disease thereby triggering further referral 

South Eastern Nigeria has a population of about 21.7 million people. There is high poverty level and large youth population (median age 18 years) similar to national levels. There are periodic severe outbreaks of fatal tropical diseases such as Lassa fever since 1969. As of May, 2020, COVID-19 cases are thought to be steadily rising but with severely limited testing ability, true impact cannot be ascertained. 

SSI solutions are targeted to the poor/low income populations especially in the informal sectors who are traditionally left out and at risk of succumbing to the vicious cycle of poverty and disease. SSI engaged the services of a local laboratory consultant for indepth market analysis which strongly recommended the urgent need to improve laboratory capacity with modern, reliable services. SSI has partnered with a local health services NGO which is currently conducting analytical community studies to inform health insurance designs. Traditional and religious community leaders are integral part of the health outreaches and education as they are crucial to obtain buy-in from their community members.

The solution increases laboratory capacity and emergency preparedness in the event of disease outbreak in future; improves primary health care services at the community level. 

Improvement in pandemic preparedness by establishing a laboratory with capacity for molecular diagnosis and research, increasing skill set of local laboratory scientists; use of artificial intelligence to track potential disease outbreaks based on cluster of test results. 

Strengthening primary health care by provision of health education and disease awareness; social micro health insurance with extensive coverage of preventive care from cancer screening to hypertension treatment leading to  sustainability of health gains made during health outreach programs. This helps to mitigate the absence of a community-based integrated system for disease prevention, surveillance and treatment within the poor/low income communities. 

Establishing a laboratory with highly needed molecular diagnostics capability with efficient and reliable services at low cost to increase access to the services. The laboratory will also serve as a research and training center where the local laboratory scientists will be  trained to acquire relevant modern diagnostic methods thereby increasing the pool of capable diagnostic technicians. The laboratory aims to develop its in house test kits especially for endemic diseases which traditionally have been of low interest to international medical community. Artificial intelligence will be employed to identify clusters of positive test results that may suggest a disease outbreak. All these interventions are aimed at increasing the emergency response capacity at both local and national levels. 

A robost health prevention scheme linked to social health insurance with extensive coverage for screening from cardiovascular disease to cancers, treatment of hypertension, services from telemedicine to accessing medications through an online pharmacy all at very low premiums and no deductibles is the first of its kind in the region, if not the country. 

SSI mobile health platform: A web based platform with an app feature for mobile phone. All the features of the entire project - enrollment in the insurance scheme, virtual visits via telemedicine, premiums from digital payments, medications from online pharmacy will all be incorporated on this platform  

Use of artificial intelligence to track potential disease outbreaks based on cluster of test results from SSI molecular lab; epidemiological study of disease incidence and prevalence from enrolled in the health insurance scheme; during mass health outreaches - develop prediction models for high risk for developing cardiovascular disease thereby triggering further referral. This AI feature will be integrated into the laboratory management system of SSI molecular laboratory and the medical records feature on the SSI mobile health platform. 

Our solution utilizes widely used and accepted technologies. 

Mobile health platforms are widely used in health service delivery - from mHealth apps to complex web based integrated platforms. Due to high cost of data and internet as well as unavailability in some areas, having offline capability is crucial. Our mobile health platform will have all the features of the entire project - enrollment in the insurance scheme, virtual visits via telemedicine, premiums from digital payments, medications from online pharmacy will all be incorporated on this platform. The online pharmacy will have its own website which will be easily connected to the health platform through a link.   

The current number of people you’re serving : SSI Molecular laboratory will become operational November 2020 (postponed from September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) 

-  the current number of people you’re serving(after becoming operational) = 5,000

- one year : 20,000

- five years : 2 million

SSI Health Promotion and Social Health Insurance Scheme: will become operational (first health outreach) - September 2021. 

- the current number of people you’re serving(after becoming operational) = 10,000

- one year : 50,000

- five years : 5 million 

Molecular laboratory: Goal is to consolidate the laboratory within the community in the first year serving a minimum of 50,000 people. Within the next five years, we plan to extend the laboratory services building at least five other molecular laboratories serving the entire South Eastern Nigeria of about 22 million people; South South and South West. We plan to employ and train at least 100 laboratory scientists and provide internship and research opportunities for thousands of trainees from all over the country over five years. 

Health promotion and social health insurance: Goal is to reach at least 20,000 people in about 40 communities within the first year through in person community health outreaches; reach more people through extensive direct and social media marketing, partnerships with student and trade unions, relationships with traditional and religious leaders to achieve our 5 year goal of enrolling at least 5 million people. 

Financial :$100,000 - Secured by bootstrapping (personal contributions from SSI board members). Purpose: for establishment of the first SSI molecular laboratory. Will need an extra $30,000 for recurrent expenses within the first year.  

Will need $200,000 for start up funds for establishment of the health promotion and social insurance program : renting space, buying equipment for health screening - digital mammography machines, breast ultrasound machines; staff - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, community health workers, non medical staff; IT platform development and maintenance; health insurance design, marketing and management; to expand services to other geographical areas - will need more capital infusion

Legal : Licensing laboratory and health insurance with relevant authorities

Cultural: Low level of education in the target population, poverty, low levels of knowledge of the important relevance of preventive care and thereby need to purchase a health plan that provides these services

Financial : $100,000 - Secured by bootstrapping (personal contributions from SSI board members) for establishment of the molecular laboratory. Actively seeking funds in form of grants, collaborations/partnerships for the additional funds for the SSI molecular laboratory for recurring expenditure in the first year,  SSI health promotion and social health insurance program.

- Profit from the first molecular laboratory will go towards expansion and also the health promotion and insurance program. 

Legal: will obtain all relevant licenses ; will engage services of an attorney to assist with this. 

Cultural: Extensive education about our programs and benefits during community health outreaches;direct and social media marketing, testimonials from enrollees

Full time staff - 5

Part time staff - 4

Contractors -2

SSI President Chete Eze-Nliam is a cardiologist and public health physician with interest in health disparities at the Cleveland Clinic. She obtained her medical degree in Nigeria and MPH from Columbia University, New York. She participates in medical missions in communities within developing countries, transferring evidence-based knowledge and skills to local providers. She understands limited access to healthcare resources perpetuates a cycle of poverty and underutilized human capital. She believes sustainable fortification of health care delivery systems is key to lasting improvement in health outcomes and economic status.

Vice President Adaora Ifebigh, also born in Nigeria and educated in the U.S, holds Masters degrees in business administration and Public Policy.  She has over 15 years of project and operations management experience in government, corporate and non-profit sectors managing multi-million-dollar portfolios in the energy and environment sector, project management consulting for the U.S government and establishing initiatives aimed at improving low and moderate-income communities.

Director of Programs, Innocent Ogbue is a business and educational IT expert involved in developing business models, strategic tools and frameworks for solving client problems, financial modelling and predictions, product portfolio planning and organizational strategies. 

Corporate Secretary, Chinyere Eze-Nliam is an attorney and counselor at law in New York. She is currently involved in community outreach programs with the goal of expanding primary health care to under-served, marginalized communities in Queens, New York. 

Laboratory Science Consultant Humphrey Nwobodo is laboratory supervisor for SSI molecular laboratory; provided in-depth market and need analysis of the local laboratory services space. 

SCL Dynamics - an NGO based in Maryland, USA which provides IT services for other NGOs.

Health Services Development Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria : a health policy foundation which is providing analytical support and design of the social health insurance scheme. 

Combination of below:

Sustained donations and grants: actively searching

Selling products or services: Laboratory services including sales of any in-house developed test assays, radiological (mammography, breast ultrasound,xrays not covered by insurance) services, health screening procedures not covered by insurance (not enrolled in the program or more frequency than covered by insurance), health insurance premiums, online pharmacy transactions  

To gain access to a supportive community of peers, funders, and experts to help advance my project

To receive mentorship and strategic advice from Solve and MIT networks

To receive $10,000 grant from Solve as well as access to significant additional prize funding.

To receive advice and mentorship on business model outlined

To assist in developing technology needed for the mobile health IT platform with integration of artificial intelligence feature for data tracking. 

To receive mentorship and advice on funding and revenue model, appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools; marketing especially use of digital marketing and social media marketing.

We will partner with any organization who will contribute to our growth. UN agencies, other NGOs, companies related to health, MIT, impact investment funds, Gates Foundation and other foundations. 

We plan to use artificial intelligence plan to amplify our impact in the future.

Use of artificial intelligence to track potential disease outbreaks based on cluster of test results from SSI molecular lab; epidemiological study of disease incidence and prevalence from enrolled in the health insurance scheme; during mass health outreaches - develop prediction models for high risk for developing cardiovascular disease thereby triggering further referral. This AI feature will be integrated into the laboratory management system of SSI molecular laboratory and the medical records feature on the SSI mobile health platform. 

The SSI health program will save women's lives due to improved access to cancer screening services. 

It covers all the recommended screening for cancer prevention in women - providing education, physician breast examination, mammography, breast ultrasound, cervical cancer screening with pap smear and HPV test at very low cost. In an environment where financial barriers limit the ability of women, especially the poorest socioeconomic group, to utilize screening and treatment services for early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, regular easy and affordable cancer screening programs definitely save lives ensuring equitable access to screening and treatment services.