To discover how innovative technology has altered the world, visit Africa. Mobile money and e-commerce have proliferated swiftly across the continent thanks to mobile phones. Mobile-led digital progress has left healthcare behind.
Health care is scarce for most of Nigeria’s 200 million people. Nigeria is Africa’s largest mobile market. Nigeria spent only 3% of its GDP on healthcare in 2019, compared to sub-Saharan Africa (4.9%) and South Africa (9.1%). Most Nigerians reside in rural areas, where medical facilities, tools, and qualified personnel are scarce.
MyItura was founded and funded by CEO Opeyemi Arogundade, CTO Adeolu Ogunye, Growth Manager Dr. Akingbola Adewunmi, and Medical Lead Dr. Similoluwa Oluwalana. It lets Nigerians get medical testing on their phones whenever they wish, improving preventive health care. It’s an all-in-one tool for identification, doctor visits, and self-care without a lab or hospital.
Opeyemi states, “Like most Nigerians, we can all think of someone close to us who died too young from a disease that might not have been as bad if diagnosed and treated earlier, or if the person had been more health-aware or had better access to health care.” Opeyemi founded the business for this. Because it directly addresses Nigeria’s low preventive health care approach, MyItura is our solution.
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How MyItura works
MyItura offers a straightforward service. Users download the app on their smartphones, register, and choose a test. A medical practitioner will collect and send the samples to a partner lab for analysis. The test results are uploaded to the user’s MyItura account within 24 hours, which they can access on their phone or computer.
Users can purchase individual tests and get customised test packages based on their health needs. The website delivers personalized health advice based on test findings, helping them improve their health. They can also remotely check their health and consult with top experts nationwide using MyItura’s chat feature.
“Itura means ‘good health’ or ‘comfort’ in Yoruba. MyItura empowers people to manage their health. Opeyemi says they want to make health monitoring easy for any Nigerian.
Nigeria needs MyItura’s services
Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa, but many people don’t have access to primary health care. This is why MyItura’s services are essential. High blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer are also on the rise. The WHO thinks that non-communicable illnesses, mainly heart disease, cause 29% of deaths in Nigeria. Many of these can be stopped with early identification and treatment.
“Everyone values good health and health monitoring, and in Nigeria, many health problems can be avoided if caught early,” says Opeyemi of the startup’s market. “Every Nigerian should be able to use our platform to take charge of their health and find possible problems.”
Opeyemi thinks that most Nigerians and Africans care about their health, but “roadblocks” like not trusting the system or having a bad experience at a hospital or health center keep them from moving.
There is an attitude of silence about health problems. If a family member told me they were going to a hospital or clinic today, my first thought was to say, “I hope there’s nothing wrong” or “I’m sorry, are you feeling sick?” even if they were getting a checkup. To solve this problem, health services must be easy to get to without making other people nervous. MyItura wants to get rid of these big problems.”
Cost and accessibility are crucial to market penetration, says Opeyemi. For N1,200 (just over $2 at the official exchange rate), users can get a medical test and use various free health tracking tools. Several doctors and labs get commissions for each test or patient.
Many individuals are impoverished, uninsured, and unable to afford traditional healthcare, making affordability vital. Only a third of Nigerians have cell phones, which is essential for MyItura. The company will use USSD to reach the general market despite poor internet penetration.
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MyItura aids Nigerian insurance companies and employers.
MyItura wants to work with insurance companies and big businesses in Nigeria. Opeyemi says this way of doing things is a “win-win” for insurers because they can help their clients watch their health on a budget, lowering their long-term health costs. He says big health claims can be avoided if people’s health doesn’t worsen so often that they need expensive surgery.
MyItura’s platform could change the way Nigerians get preventive health care, lower the number of diseases, and improve health results by making it cheaper and easier to get.
Its success depends on its ability to grow in a tough market, make partnerships, and keep quality high. But Nigeria’s preventive health care system could get a lot out of the site. Nigerians can use innovative technology and MyItura to take care of their health.