According to a report, “Obesity and prediabetes are major health concerns in Africa and the Middle East, affecting more than 40% of the population. In Egypt, 20% of adults have diabetes; the figure in Saudi Arabia is 30%. In Nigeria, one in 17 adults has diabetes. The issue of prediabetes and obesity is even more widespread. Yet, it’s essential to recognize that these health challenges are largely preventable through lifestyle management and monitoring.” This is a major problem and one that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. An Egyptian health tech startup has just raised $3.6M in order to solve this exact problem.
“Most of my patients were diabetics, even as a retina specialist. And as you know, the journey of a chronic patient can be harrowing. Diabetes is a disease a large number of people have for life. And with many having ups and downs, there’s always a need for reassurance,” said Khater. “Whether in terms of connecting with the doctor, asking a question or making sure that your data or medical records are fine. So, it was obvious that this kind of service did not exist and was very fragmented in Egypt. A typical diabetic or chronic patient would have several doctors dealing with them in different places and lose their data. So, having all this in one place in your pocket was something that was missing. In Egypt, we have gone almost 110 million; you can imagine how many people this problem affects.”
They have explained their reason for starting in Egypt even while catering to patients from neighboring regions. “We have many patients from Africa and the Middle East that come to Egypt for treatment because of two things. One is the good medical expertise here in the region — two, because of its affordability. So one of the biggest challenges when those patients go back home after getting treatment is that it’s hard to maintain contact with the doctors or healthcare provider,” the CEO said. “Even if they do, they don’t have the same care or attention they would have when they fly in. So, the app allows them to upload medical records or the latest tests. It also helps with conversations with the doctors so they don’t have to fly back to Egypt now and then for a follow-up.”
