Graduates innovate remote child testing kits

Four students from the United States International University - Khushi Gupta, Jeet Gohil, Dharmik Karania and Abdihamid Ali - who won this year’s global technology competition, Imagine Cup. Their winning innovation, dubbed REWEBA (Remote Well Baby) allows for the remote monitoring of babies’ growth from birth, permitting early intervention by health practitioners. The team beat stiff competition from 163 countries across the globe. With them is Microsoft Kenya Country Manager, Kendi Nderitu (Right). [Courtesy]

Two United States International University (USIU) Africa graduates have developed a mobile self-testing and diagnosis kit for mothers to carry out tests on their babies remotely and relay results to doctors.

The two developers, Abdihamin Ali and Jeet Gohil say the self-testing kits will help address child mortality prevalence in the country, especially in areas where doctors are kilometres away. 

Abdihamin and Jeet were motivated to develop the kits after they went to a certain hospital to carry out community service as part of academic requirements. “We noticed how troubled mothers were when they tried accessing healthcare. Their babies were dying and that really moved us to work on this solution,” Ali said.

They called the device Reweba. It works using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The device makes quick assessments on a baby’s body to diagnose any ailment for early treatment.

The infant testing kit has a table-like design, where the baby is placed and the device scans the body for analysis. This is powered by the biometrics detectors in the device.

The device monitors and records the height, weight, temperature and location of the baby. It then relays the information, real-time, to doctors.

The results are relayed through Reweba’s semi-autonomous app that is accessible using either mobile or web platforms.

Abdi says many child mortality cases in the country are because of the diagnostic system. He says the device will bring maximum impact if with the mothers. 

“We want to increase the access to healthcare where the patient becomes the focus, where services reach the patient as opposed to patients going to the health facility,” said Abdi.

Data relayed by the device over time can also be used to inform health practitioners on the distribution of various diseases.

Abdihamin and Jeet took about two years to develop the device which has earned them a place in the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition.

The devices are available for between Sh5,000 and Sh7,000 for very needy mothers. The device will be going for between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 when fully monetised.