Grace Ashiru
Vaxiglobal is a startup company based in Zimbabwe that employs contactless biometrics to reduce the number of wasted immunization resources, increase data quality with open standards, and make it possible to scale up immunization campaigns in African countries. It has been recognized as one of the deserving recipients of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa, which comes with a monetary reward of $250,000.
Two other people won: Flare, which is situated in Kenya and is a cloud-based technology that provides fire relief; and MOBicure, a company based in Nigeria, whose product, myPaddi, allows young people in Africa to have discreet access to sexual health resources, such as access to doctors, counselors, and adult toys.
Dr. Integrity Mchechesi, a doctor and innovator in public health care, and Tsitsi Eunice Sifiyali, a physiotherapist and public health expert, started the company in 2019. The solution from Vaxiglobal uses a phone to scan patients’ faces and make digital certificates stored in the cloud.
In an interview, Dr Mchechesi explained that the laboratories produce a digital record in our system after immunization. “During the conversation, Dr Mchechesi remarked. “The traveller receives a QR code, either on a mobile app or on paper, which is quickly validated by the border officials, who can see where the vaccine was obtained and who administered it to the traveller.” in addition to the batch number of the vaccination, which serves to safeguard the genuineness of every vaccine.
The company says that it presently has 320,000 people registered and that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it verified 1.1 million vaccination doses in a pilot study. The company also claims that it has confirmed 1.1 million vaccine doses. In addition, it has developed partnerships with the ministries of health in Zambia, Bostwana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria DR of the Congo, and Nigeria.
The Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa was created to makebutingions (the UN) goal of sustainable development. The organization’s motto is “Health and Well-being,” and Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian politician, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and former United Nations secretary-general honoured by the organizatiaree’s naming.
