To address Senegal’s maternal mortality crisis, Awa Ndiaye harnessed her passion for information and communications technology (ICT) and innovation. She founded Njureel Telemedicine, a pioneering digital platform. It is designed to break down barriers to quality maternal healthcare and integrate ICT into the health sector.
As Senegal’s first telemedicine platform of its kind, Njureel offers various services. These include video and voice teleconsultations with healthcare providers, and patient monitoring. It also includes geolocation to the nearest pharmacies and hospitals and healthcare awareness content in local languages.
In 2021, Awa graduated from the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program. She received a US$25K grant from USADF. This grant was used to bring Njureel to life. The funds supported market research and healthcare partnerships. They also helped with platform development and essential equipment acquisition. The funds were used for staffing and training. This ensured the successful rollout of the mobile service.
By the end of 2021, Njureel had achieved significant milestones. Awa and her team conducted comprehensive market research, which helped inform the platform’s development and successful launch. They forged strategic partnerships with local healthcare providers to enhance accessibility for platform users.
They secured key institutional support. Stakeholders like the President of Senegal, Mothers at Risk, SOS Médecins Senegal, and UN Women Senegal provided this backing. This support further validated Njureel’s impact. Through the USADF grant, Njureel provided instant medical care access to 1,500 women and young adolescents.
The Njureel team responded to market research insights by training over 60 community workers in Yeumbeul. This suburb of Dakar focuses on managing women’s sexual and reproductive health. They also led educational programs for 800 girls, raising awareness on intimate hygiene and violence in schools. This initiative also empowered educators to identify cases of sexual abuse and harassment. They directed affected individuals to the appropriate resources.
Since then, Njureel has expanded its network to over 30 healthcare professionals. It has been piloted in five private health facilities. This has helped 8,000 women gain access to healthcare services. The platform has introduced a psychological helpline. This aims to further enhance the maternal, reproductive, and sexual well-being of women and girls in Senegal.
Njureel continues to grow, transforming healthcare access in Senegal—one woman, one girl, at a time.
Source: USADF