Afripreneur
Embodiment Healthcare: Leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize patient care
Embodiment Healthcare is transforming the Nigerian healthcare landscape with an AI-powered telehealth revolution. It’s innovative platform slashes wait times, accelerates clinical decisions, and delivers personalized treatment plans right to your doorstep. In this exclusive interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online (BAO), the Co-founders and Co-CEOs Johnbosco Ifeanyi Chigbo and Peter-Paul Ihenagwa, both trained pharmacists share more insight on embodiment healthcare and it’s solutions. Excerpt.
Can you tell us about your startup, Embodiment Healthcare, and its mission in the healthcare industry?
Embodiment Healthcare is a health-tech startup that leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence to revolutionize patient care. Our mission is to democratize healthcare by making it more accessible, efficient, and personalized. We are committed to bridging the gap between medical services and patients who need them, using technology to create a more equitable healthcare landscape.
Could you explain your AI platform’s key features and capabilities, and how it sets you apart from other healthcare startups?
Our AI platform is designed with several key features that address the needs of modern healthcare providers and patients. These include:
- Personalized treatment recommendations based on patient history and current health data
- Natural language processing for improved patient engagement and automated documentation.
What sets us apart is our focus on not just one aspect of healthcare but the entire ecosystem, ensuring that our platform can scale with providers and adapt to the changing landscape of health tech.
What specific challenges or pain points in healthcare does your platform address?
Embodiment healthcare is solving the 3 most vicious problems that bewilder healthcare in Africa: Accessibility, Affordability, Convenience and the one-size-fits-all approach that overlooks individual patient needs.. The average Nigerian spends at least 3 hours in the waiting room just to see a GP. It can take weeks to months to see a specialist. We believe that for healthcare to be effective, it has to be convenient.
Existing healthcare is expensive due to scarcity and securing basic healthcare in Nigeria is a daunting task. Our platform streamlines administrative tasks, supports telehealth services, and promotes personalized medicine Our vision is to build an Africa where healthcare is accessible for all, irrespective of insurance or socio-economic status.
How do you work with healthcare organizations to ensure the affordability and accessibility of your platform?
Currently, we are working on partnering with health insurance companies to increase the accessibility and affordability of our services. We also partner with specialist clinics to bring the best treatment portfolio closer to our patient door step. Currently we are working on partnering with a dermatology clinic to increase our treatment plans for dermatology conditions. We partner with healthcare organizations through various models to ensure our platform is both affordable and accessible. This includes subscription-based models, pay-per-use, and even custom partnerships depending on the organization’s needs. We’re committed to working with these organizations to find sustainable financial models.
What measures do you take to ensure the security and privacy of patient data when using your platform?
Patient data security and privacy are our top priorities. We adhere to strict data protection standards. We employ end-to-end encryption, regular security audits, and access controls to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. We employ highly advanced cyber security measures to ensure that our patient data safety is guaranteed. We also vet our doctors and ensure they adhere to strict professional and regulatory standards while handling our patient data.
Could you share the innovations that Embodiment Healthcare is working on?
We are continuously innovating, and some of our upcoming projects include further integration with IoT devices for expanded remote monitoring and implementing blockchain for secure patient data exchange. We’re also exploring the use of AI for genomic data analysis to advance personalized medicine. As well as integrating wearable technology for real-time health monitoring.
In addition, we are working on a partnership with a major telecommunication company in Africa to provide doctor on-call consultation using advanced technology. This will enable our patients to speak to a doctor by just dialing a unique code. We are also working on incorporation Natural language processing NLP, to enable users interact with a doctor in their local language using their mobile phones
What would you say about the growth of health tech-enabled solutions in Africa? And what are the recommendations
Health tech-enabled solutions in Africa are experiencing rapid growth, leveraging mobile technology and AI to improve healthcare accessibility and delivery. Early startups should prioritize user-centered design, understand local contexts, forge partnerships with healthcare providers, and focus on scalability and sustainability to maximize impact and address unique challenges in the region.
As part of Veuve Clicquot’s ongoing commitment to supporting and celebrating women in business, the Maison has created the Bold International Barometer in 2019 to shed light on and provide meaningful insights into the evolution of female entrepreneurship. Now in its 3rd year, the Barometer continues to lead the conversation around women and their presence in business, offering a deep dive into the data on female entrepreneurship in South Africa.
In 2023, over 49,000 women and men from 25 countries were surveyed. Encouragingly, South Africa’s data results speak to a robust female-led industry. The survey, which was self-administered online, asked respondents to give their views on several statements relating to the nuances of being a business owner and entrepreneur. Taking a global look first, the survey suggests that the rate of female entrepreneurship has slowed and is even diminishing in some countries. In some cases, this is due to both external—such as ongoing geopolitical crises—and internal factors, like striking a fair work-life balance.
This, however, is not the case in South Africa, where the data suggests a dynamic environment for women, fueled by a contagious desire among them to become entrepreneurs. Amanda Dambuza, Founder and CEO of Uyandiswa and the 2017 winner of the International Businesswoman Award by Veuve Clicquot says, “I am forever impressed by the spirit of South African female entrepreneurs. Despite the many challenges they face, they get up and back themselves to ‘bring home the bacon’. Next to Nigeria, we stand shoulders above the rest with high numbers of females identifying as entrepreneurs.”
In short, female entrepreneurship in South Africa is flourishing. South Africa stood out as one of the global leaders in female entrepreneurship where, currently, 61% of women self-identify as entrepreneurs (primarily aged between 20 to 29). According to the survey, they tend to be better educated and have higher incomes than their male counterparts. Yet they remain concentrated in lower-income sectors like beauty, food, retail, and fashion, while men dominate tech. However, in industries such as transportation, finance, and real estate, there is relatively equal representation, suggesting there could be potential for more women to succeed in these fields, should they want to diversify.
WHAT’S MOTIVATING WOMEN TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS?
According to the data, 39% of female respondents said ‘that being your own boss’ was the biggest driver for becoming an entrepreneur. Despite this, most women and half of men agree that it is more difficult for women to become entrepreneurs. Further to this, most women concur that securing business funding is easier for men, a view that remains consistent with previous years.
“This finding resonates deeply with me,” says Morongwe Mokone, the 2024 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot winner and Co-Founder of Mo’s Crib.
“It highlights the persistent gender and structural barriers that women face.” She continues by commenting on the need for strong role models among respondents, with most women and men agreeing on their importance. This emphasizes the need for female visibility and representation,” Morongwe adds. 72% of aspiring South African female entrepreneurs can name a successful woman they admire, surpassing the global average.
Refilwe Sebothoma, 2024 Bold Future Award winner and Founder of Hakem Energies adds, “It remains our responsibility to keep forging a way for those who come after us. In this way, success doesn’t become a too far-fetched idea but a reality which can be attained by fellow women entrepreneurs.”
However, as glowing as some of these statistics may be, women still face challenges that, in many cases, their male counterparts don’t experience. In addition to difficulties accessing funding, women also must navigate balancing work and family, with 63% of women and 56% of men agreeing this is harder for female entrepreneurs. Further to that, since the conversation about working women can’t happen without mentioning their families, half of the female respondents believe that female entrepreneurship disrupts family life, compared to only 25% who feel the same about male entrepreneurship.
“Women must know without a shadow of a doubt that despite cultural and family pressures, they deserve to pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship,” says Amanda.
Further to this, two-thirds of women say that managing entrepreneurship with family life is harder for women, and about half say that working full-time affects family life. This indicates that while entrepreneurship is thriving amongst women in South Africa, there is still much work to be done to support women getting into business, as well as helping them stay there. “It is encouraging to see the growth and resilience of women in this field despite economic challenges,” says Morongwe. “However, it is essential to focus on breaking down the barriers that limit women’s participation in higher-revenue sectors and ensure equal access to funding opportunities. By addressing these issues and promoting diverse role models, we can further empower women and drive sustainable economic growth.”
“Authenticity, resilience, and just being ourselves is very important. As women, we need to keep making a difference, no matter how insignificant we think it is because when that impact is replicated, women will change the world,” concludes Refilwe.
Balladjigui FOFANA, a young Franco-Malian entrepreneur based in France. Passionate about law for several years, he is a lawyer and founder of MYJOBHELP.FR, a platform specializing in international recruitment, international mobility and the completion of administrative formalities for the employment of foreign employees.
Balladjigui has always believed that talent has no borders, and that it should be within everyone’s reach, no matter where they are in the world. In terms of training, he holds a Master 2 in Corporate Law and another in Management and Human Resources Management. He has had several experiences including at the Mutualité Française, then at Couleurs de Tollens and TGS France.
Driven by an entrepreneurial soul and a desire to impact his community, he decided to launch his own company: “MyJobHelp” in October 2022. Convinced that he had found his way, he decided 2 years later (in July 2024) to focus 100% on his career as an entrepreneur.
MyJobHelp makes it possible to secure the recruitment of foreign workers to offer French and international companies access to competent profiles from all walks of life. Work permits, changes of status, visas, residence permits, recruitment, expatriation… MyJobHelp takes care of everything! From now on, don’t worry about paperwork. By trusting MyJobHelp, you are choosing to work in complete serenity and security.
Brown T is a family business launched by two women, sisters, Soraya and Melissa Saidi, and afro-feminists. Born and raised in France in an environment where black/mixed-race women were underrepresented. Having both had the same educational background, they progressed in the world of nursing in order to help and safeguard the health of their neighbors.
However, Soraya and Melissa have always known that they had a mission within their community. To participate in its elevation, particularly with the emancipation of women in all its forms. Their background has allowed them to acquire skills in terms of listening and analyzing the needs of the population and they have therefore decided to use them in the world of marketing to meet the needs of Afro-descendant women.
Brown T wants to encourage the upliftment of black women from an economic, social and cultural perspective. To do this, Brown T is committed to exclusively highlighting Afro-descendant women designers. By giving them exclusive visibility, Brown T wants to be a pillar in the circular economy within the Afro community.
In addition, Brown T is socially engaged by focusing on creating a caring Afro-centered and feminine community that aims to help women on a daily basis feel better about themselves, accept themselves and embrace their differences and their history. Brown T aims to become the benchmark marketplace that offers a solution adapted to the specific needs of Afro women while favoring healthier products that are respectful of the environment and promote overall well-being and self-confidence.
Brown T marketplace offers more than just hair and body products; it provides a holistic experience that values health, natural beauty, Afro entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The brand provides opportunities for Afro women to care for themselves holistically, with a focus on their health, well-being and cultural identity.
