Check Me team displaying the award
By Sendy Forlemu
In a ground-breaking endeavour, Check Me has emerged triumphant in the Health Hackathon challenge hosted by the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative at the African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, Rwanda. This competition, spanning four impactful days from Monday to Thursday, aimed to galvanise students from esteemed institutions such as ALU, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Cape Town, Kwame Nkrumah University, Ashesi University, and more. The primary objective was to stimulate innovative solutions addressing critical health issues in the African context.
The criteria for success in this hackathon is centred on the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed solutions. The competition served as a nexus for students to converge, collaborate and channel their creativity towards making a tangible impact on the healthcare challenges prevalent in Africa.
Check Me’s victory in this challenging hackathon, focusing on breast cancer, stands out as a beacon of hope in addressing a significant healthcare concern for African women. Breast cancer has become the leading cause of death among African women, necessitating innovative solutions for early detection and prevention.
The competition’s significance is underscored by its commitment to fostering ideas and solutions in the African health sector. The Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, as the organising body, plays a pivotal role in providing a platform for students to contribute meaningfully to healthcare innovation.
The hackathon drew participation from over 80 students, representing diverse universities, all impassioned about leveraging technology to transform healthcare in Africa. With an emphasis on feasibility and impact, the criteria for selecting winners ensured that the proposed solutions were not only innovative but also had the potential to make a tangible difference in addressing healthcare challenges.
Looking ahead, Check Me’s planned launch of their health platform within the next three months, it is poised to be a game-changer. This platform will offer essential resources, educational materials, and connections to healthcare specialists, providing vital support to patients in need. The award from the hackathon will not only bolster the implementation of their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) but also propel their mission to combat breast cancer and other female-related diseases through awareness, early detection, and comprehensive screening efforts.
