Kenyan e-health startup Afya Rekod has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain based consumer-driven health data platform in support of global efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Afya Rekod portal allows people across the world to store their health data in real-time, with a special focus on COVID-19. The launch of the platform, which was built to help users store their own health data, access health information and connect to health service providers, was originally set for July, but has been brought forward.
John Kamara, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Afya Rekod, said the platform is AI-driven and uses various AI modules to help detect abnormalities, detect early outbreaks, and monitor mobility and evolution of diseases via timely data analytics.
“Africa and most of the third world countries have limited doctors and access to healthcare services. Lack of patient data in real-time makes the problem even more damaging to both patients and health-service providers across the continent. Over 65 per cent of Africans live in rural communities that are not connected and are off-grid in terms of access to healthcare services. This is the problem we are trying to solve,” he said.
Fast-tracking the launch of the platform would enable users to capture real-time data that will heat-map areas where COVID-19 infections are growing, and monitor the growth in real-time by collecting user-generated information from users across multiple geographic locations to allow for sufficient data analysis, Kamara said.
“Afya Rekod comes at a crucial time when the world is experiencing one of the biggest pandemics in generations and we need to monitor the movement and evolution of the virus closely to determine the changing nature of symptoms among other things,” he said.
