Baobab Circle supports people with chronic illnesses to face their own personal challenges though AfyaPap, a smartphone app and text-message based health education and coaching companion. The app helps people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension by tracking data and providing tailored daily health advice. Their initial focus is on East Africa, and they have plans to expand to other regions and tackles other diseases.
Idea
Chronic disease will be Africa’s next epidemic: Baobab Circle are tackling this head on with their app, AfyaPap (which means ‘health now’ in Swahili).
Throughout Africa, chronic conditions are stigmatised and so people often do not seek healthcare, leading to debilitating complications. Baobab Circle provide users with anonymity and 24/7 direct-to-doctor communication to create a safe space for users to learn and get the information that they need to get on top of their condition.
Their first product, the AfyaPap app, is a behavioural change tool that provides unique, personalised health coaching to individuals living with chronic health conditions. Starting with diabetes and hypertension, the app empowers people to self-manage their condition in situations where existing health systems are failing them. It also offers personalised health education, connected glucometers and remote access to medical advice.
People
Baobab Circle is a diverse team of neuroscientists, technologists, doctors and nutritionists who are passionate about using emerging technologies to solve Africa’s healthcare challenges. As a team, they have set out to transform the way healthcare is delivered across Africa and improve the lives of millions using mobile phones.
Founder Dr Precious Lunga is a University of Cambridge graduate with experience of delivering mobile-based technology solutions across Africa.
Co-founder George Franklin is a Columbia University MBA with experience in developing business models for emerging markets.
Impact
Baobab Circle’s social mission is to create new models of healthcare using mobile phones to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with chronic health conditions.
With an initial focus on diabetes and hypertension, their aim is to reduce the high rates of these preventable diseases by providing low cost services through mobile technology.
Lead entrepreneur
Dr Precious Lunga
Get in touch
Baobab Circle would like to hear from potential partners interested in helping to scale their service across Africa and beyond through funding and/or implementation partnerships.
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