- Philips announces the winner of its South African Innovation Fellows Competition
- hearScreen mHealth solution is the #nextbigidea in improving access to primary healthcare
Johannesburg, South Africa – Philips South Africa has announced the hearScreen mHealth solution as the first winner of its South African Innovation Fellows Competition. The Innovation Fellows Competition was launched in August this year in collaboration with the Innovation Hub in Pretoria, with the goal of unlocking local talent and addressing regionally relevant challenges in healthcare.
The hearScreen mHealth solution makes widespread systematic hearing testing possible by providing a cost-effective, sustainable smartphone application that provides clinically valid tests and can be operated by generalist health personnel (e.g. community healthcare workers) along with cloud-based data management and referral systems linking patients to services.
Recent WHO estimates indicate that there are 360 million persons in the world with disabling hearing loss (5.3% of the world’s population). The prevalence of disabling hearing loss in children is greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Approximately one-third of persons over 65 years are affected by disabling hearing loss with the prevalence being highest in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. With less than one hearing health provider to every million people in Africa, prospects for affected individuals are dire. Access to systematic hearing screening services is also unavailable in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The hearScreen mHealth solution was selected as the winner from an impressive Top-5 contingent and will receive Rand two-hundred thousand (R. 200,000) as a research and development grant towards the development and production of his technology. Swanepoel will also undergo a one year fellowship during which Philips will assist him by offering business advice on how to launch, market, and sell his product. During this time, Eddine Sarroukh, Head of Research, Philips Africa will be his mentor.
The other 2015 Innovation Fellows finalists included:
Each of these finalists received a cash prize of Rand twelve thousand (R. 12,000).
“In the beginning of the year, Philips South Africa conducted an Innovation Research study, which indicated that sixty per cent (60%) of South Africans consider themselves to be innovators; we launched the South African Innovation Fellows Competition in collaboration with The Innovation Hub, Pretoria to support South Africans to showcase their own tangible innovations that can fundamentally change and improve the lives of others.” says JJ Van Dongen, Senior Vice President and CEO Philips Africa. “We were delighted by the response to the competition and the quality of work submitted by the Top-5 finalists was truly inspirational. We are now looking forward to turning De Wet Swanepoel's winning entry into a healthcare solution that will make a real and impactful difference in the lives of impacted people across Africa.”
Join the conversation @PhilipsSAfrica #nextbigidea
Radhika Choksey
Philips Group Communications - Africa
Tel: +31 62525 9000
Email: radhika.choksey@philips.com
Natalie D’Amico
FleishmanHillard
Tel: +27 11 548 2030
Email : Natalie.damico@fleishman.co.za
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