AfriHealth, a technology-driven healthcare startup with a special focus on ensuring easy access to quality and affordable healthcare solutions in Africa, weekend, unveiled Rigour +, an application that will solve the problem of access to healthcare services and combat drug counterfeiting.
The issues in Nigeria’s health sector aren’t just limited to access, it includes infiltration of fake drugs, hospitals not being emergency-ready, and lack of access to healthcare providers, manufacturers, pharmacists, etc.
The Rigour + solution comes in different segments – Rigour + for Doctors, which connects patients to doctors; Rigour + for Pharmacists, which allows them to onboard and track orders from hospitals/patients; Rigour + for Hospitals and Rigour + for Manufacturers, which helps to fight the infiltration of fake drugs.
At the event, a demo was done and it showed how the Rigour + app remains user-friendly making a big difference in how easily users can navigate and accomplish tasks within. The user interface enhanced the user experience, making it more visually appealing.
Linda Adaeze Obi, CEO, AfriHealth, said at the launch in Lagos that AfriHealth is poised to provide technology-enabled solutions that will ensure that Nigerians are connected to medical experts, and pharmacists without the usual traditional barriers.
According to Linda, healthcare access in Nigeria is very limited in all dimensions due to factors within and beyond the health system, but with the integration of technology, some of the challenges will be tackled.
Overall, the Rigour + App allows patients to book a consultation with a doctor and have a virtual session and allows patients to place an order for drugs and get it delivered to their doorsteps. It also provides the opportunity for pharmacists or doctors to generate more income from the solution.
Specifically, Rigour + for Manufacturers was built with the intent to fight medicine counterfeiting in Nigeria. AfriHealth adopted the new serialization to help manufacturers and importers comply with regulatory requirements and improve the safety and quality of pharmaceutical products.
Nigeria is one of the world’s most counterfeited markets, and it ranks first among African nations in terms of the number of citizens lost to fake medications each year. According to the Brazzaville Foundation, 120,000 Africans pass away each year.
The infiltration of fake drugs costs the global pharmaceutical sector $200 billion yearly. Due to the lack of trustworthy track and trace capabilities, producers and importers in Nigeria experience severe pain points, which can result in production losses of up to 40% and huge revenue losses.
According to Umanze Cornelius, Chief Operating Officer, AfriHealth, to guarantee that Rigour+ for Manufacturers complies with the highest standards of safety and quality, it is completely aligned with regulatory organizations like GS1 Nigeria and NAFDAC.
He said by implementing track and trace capabilities, Rigour+ for Manufacturers aims to help manufacturers and importers comply with regulatory requirements and improve the safety and quality of pharmaceutical products
“Now, you can trace and track where the drugs are coming from and all the elements connected to them. If the drugs have issues or are poisonous, you can now say the problem is coming from here. This moves our system from reactionary processes.
“It is difficult if you cannot trace where the poisonous substance in a drug is situated. So, with the technology, you can track them.”
However, he added that digitizing healthcare in Nigeria has the potential to significantly solve many of those issues bedeviling the sector. It has improved access to healthcare services, increase efficiency, and ultimately save lives.
