“Saved the lives of 80,000 people” Asking the CEO of a medical tech startup from Nigeria, the roots of the business

Well-being refers to a state of physical, mental and social well-being.

While governments and companies have recognized the importance of this and have come up with various measures, in developing countries with poor medical infrastructure, lives that could still be saved are being lost due to the lack of access to blood for transfusions.

A startup that develops medical logistics systems in three African countries, including Nigeria, was launched to improve this situation.LifeBankis.

At MASHING UP CONFERENCE vol.6 held on November 11, 2022“Dynamic business that creates social well-being”with the theme of LifeBank’s CEO Temy Giwa-Tubosungave a keynote speech.

Roots of a business that changes healthcare in Africa

keynote2_03

LifeBank CEO Temy Giwa-Tubosun’s business has had a major impact in Africa, where the medical infrastructure is underdeveloped.

Africa’s medical infrastructure still faces many challenges. Giwa-Tubosun started LifeBank, a health tech company that aims to solve medical problems in Africa, in a situation where the medical oxygen and blood transfusion packs needed for treatment are not reaching the people who really need them. .

With the use of technology, medical institutions across Africa have developed supply chains and medical oxygen factories that can provide blood, oxygen, and consumables such as masks and gloves when needed.

In talking about the history of LifeBank’s business, which has saved the lives of about 80,000 people,”The story of two women gave me faith to make a difference.”says Temmie.

One is Dr. Rosemary, who died due to lack of medical oxygen after a sudden illness. The other is a girl named Laves who lived in a farming village in the outskirts of Nigeria. She got pregnant when she was 19. She had an emergency stillbirth, but she saved her life thanks to a LifeBank blood transfusion.

After telling the story of two women, Giwa-Tubosun”Cases like the two are sporadic in developing countries with inadequate medical infrastructure.”and continued:

“Our team has leveraged technology to build and efficiently deploy groundbreaking technologies and ideas with far-reaching impact.

Furthermore, partnerships with private and public institutions have allowed us to quickly implement innovations.” (Giwa-Tubosun)

With support from the Skoll Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs, and CWI (Cartier Women’s Initiative), an organization supporting women entrepreneurs, we have been able to develop speedily as a true innovator that handles the entire value chain. said.

Inspiration for innovative business is empathy and challenge

mu6_keynote2_2

Ms. Giwa-Tubosun talked about the story of the two women who inspired her to start the company, and the kind of society she hopes to realize in the future.

Giwa-Tubosun, who has brought about changes in serious social issues with technology, said the following about her perspective when starting a new business.

“Inspiration for important businesses is everywhere, and we can find it in the lives and even deaths of strangers. (Giwa-Tubosun)

The work started by Giwa-Tubosun is also helping save lives in the modern pandemic.More than 300 oxygen cylinders have been supplied by LifeBank, leading to saving the lives of more than 900 people.

In addition, Ms. Giwa-Tubosun talked about the elements necessary to take an approach to the difficult-to-solve social issue of medical infrastructure.

“I am by no means the most intelligent, innovative or courageous person.We have empathy and a willingness to take on the challenge of saving the lives of the poor in these countries.that’s all you need(Giwa-Tubosun)

By expanding LifeBank’s activities to each city, everyone will be able to go to medical institutions and receive support with peace of mind, regardless of gender or occupation. He concluded his keynote speech by stating that such a society is the story we are aiming for.

Impact on the medical field with deep-rooted issues

mu6_keynote2_1

A conversation between Mr. Ogiso, CEO of SDG Impact Japan, and MASHING UP’s Endo.

After the keynote speech, the representative director of SDG Impact JapanMari OgisoMr. and MASHING UP editor-in-chiefYuko Endoconducted a dialogue.

While the momentum of startups is growing internationally, the number of entrepreneurs who use technology to tackle social issues is also increasing in Asia, but the number of female entrepreneurs like Ms. Giwa-Tubosun in Japan is still small.

Especially notable is the medical field such as LifeBank, and Mr. Ogiso explained the importance of diverse perspectives in startups.

“Because there are many female nurses and caregivers in the medical field,It is very important for women to start businesses and provide various perspectives from the perspective of raising the level of medical care as a whole.Compared to other countries in the world, women entrepreneurship is rare in Japan, and we need a culture of support from society as a whole.” (Ms. Ogiso)

Not only in the field of femtech, which has been spreading in recent years,Expanding the circle of support for women and increasing the number of entrepreneurs will probably lead to raising the level of society and the industry as a whole.

Reprinted from MASHING UP (Released on March 28, 2023)


(Text/Interview) MASHING UP

MASHING UP: MASHING UP = Media and community that open up an inclusive future. Through events and media, we will deepen dialogue with a wide variety of people, transcending gender, industry, generation, and nationality, and think about the future of society, the shape of organizations, and the future of business.

Source: BusinessInsider

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest

10 US States Where You Can Most Afford to Live on a Social Security Check

Estimated For the 16% of the US population aged 65 and over, living in a low-cost state can extend the validity of a $1,619.67...

IM LS6, the new electric SUV from SAIC and Alibaba, will debut in China on October 13, 2023. 5

IM Motors is a joint venture between SAIC Motor, Zhangiang Hi-Tech and Alibaba, created to bring electric models to the market. Chinese car...

Tom Holland reveals how his new series helped him improve his mental health

Tom Holland, the star of Spider-Man, has shared a personal milestone that has become his new lead role. this caused him to reconsider his...