The leading cause of death in Cameroon is Malaria, with the second being childbirth. Currently, innovative technology in Africa, specifically in Cameroon,  helps to prevent mortality rates in children, pregnant women and many more marginalized groups of people. It also allows easy and affordable prenatal and nonprenatal care for expectant parents and patients. 

Bornfyne App

An effective way technology has improved medical care in Cameroon is through mobile phone apps. The BornFyne app, an app created in 2018 by Miriam Nkangu (Founder), Donald Weledji (Co-founder) and Sanni Yaya (Co-founder) in Cameroon. The objective of the Bornfyne app is to help pregnant women with prenatal and postnatal care. Besides pre- and postnatal care, the app also provides appointments for emergencies, medical advice via offline forums and family planning.  In westernized countries, apps like Bornfyne are readily available, but in countries like Cameroon, receiving medical care can be difficult due to the expenses and many people live far away from hospitals that offer adequate care. The app also allows health care providers to have follow-up appointments and other forms of communication. 

Waspito App

Another innovative app that has improved the health of the people in Cameroon is the Waspito app. Founded in 2020 by CEO Jean Lobe Lobe, the Waspito app is similar to the BornFyne app, except its sole focus is not on parental care. Like the BornFyne app, it allows online communication, consultations and medical advice. The app also connects patients with doctors based on their location, address and affordability.

The unique feature that the Wasptio app has is that it allows at-home labs. Meaning that doctors enter a patient’s home to do labs. These mobile labs enable people to access care without leaving their homes. Since 10.5% of the population in Cameroon is disabled, the app enables disabled people to get adequate care without leaving their own homes. In addition to being inclusive, the app connects users to more than 850 doctors across Cameroon who specialize in various fields. This makes visiting doctors easier, as patients can actively research and choose their doctors.

Looking Ahead

Mobile medical apps like Bornfyne and Waspitomake make health care in Cameroon much more accessible, improving the health care system in new ways. Their accessibility also decreases the maternal and infant mortality in Cameroon. In addition, these apps are important for pregnant women, as Cameroon has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates, with 438 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.

– Erin Lee

Erin is based in Queens, NY, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr