The Ministry of ICT and Innovation celebrated 10 outstanding Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) startups that emerged with innovative, technology-driven solutions that have significantly improved access to healthcare services across Sub-Saharan Africa. The event held on December 6, at Norrsken. Kigali’s premier innovation hub and marked the successful conclusion of flagship startups participating in the HangaPitchFest’s SRH programme launched in October 2023. The occasion also celebrated their achievements in leveraging technology to address critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges. This initiative was conceived in 2022 as part of HangaPitchFest, aiming to leverage technology startups for improved Sexual & Reproductive Health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. 20 startups from across Sub-Saharan Africa selected to participate. After a rigorous selection and funding process, 10 standout ventures progressed to the acceleration phase. The SRH programme targeted key challenges such as maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, unmet need for contraception , and limited access to youth-friendly SRH services. Through technology and innovative approaches, the startups provided impactful solutions that break traditional barriers. ALSO READ: Hanga Pitchfest, a path to innovation-led opportunities Esther Kunda, the Director General of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, pointed out that the private sector faces significant challenges, particularly in the health sector, despite its substantial contributions to improving healthcare in Africa. Particularly in Rwanda, issues like teenage pregnancy, limited access to youth friendly services continue to persist. “Our main goal when we started the program was to start seeding these companies in tackling such issues. We worked with partners such as ‘Brink innovations’ to successfully deliver the program,” she said. As noted by Kunda, the programme has already demonstrated significant impact including funding, where ventures raised approximately $1.5million from venture capitalists and foundations. Additionally, they generated $55,000 through sales of products and services. The startups also reached out to over 33,500 individuals who benefited directly from these solutions. Job creation is another milestone celebrated where more than 130 jobs have been created across various regions. Kunda said; “We’re very happy where the success of this program has gone and we hope that in the subsequent years, we're going to be able to understand how we continue building sustainable ventures within this challenging sector. We've seen good partners and we hope that more partners can come onboard to support programs at these ventures.” She assured that the Ministry will continue to engage in this space, supporting innovators and closely monitoring their progress. She also noted that all supported ventures have been able to secure scale up funding from various partners including the Rwanda-based ventures who will be supported by UNFPA Rwanda to ensure their growth and sustainability. “We are proud of this cohort’s journey and their impactful contributions to SRH. As they transition to independence, we will continue to offer advisory and technical support where necessary,” she added. ALSO READ: A look at Hanga Pitchfest progress through the eyes of past winners The Hanga SRH, Program Manager, Annet Mwizerwa noted that from the moment these ventures were selected, they embarked on a journey of transformation. “Initially, some of these start-ups came to us with only a model or a minimum viable product (MVP). Today, they have successfully moved from concept to live solutions, scaling their operations and creating meaningful impact.” She added: “The Hanga SRH Showcase represents not just an opportunity to celebrate the incredible achievements of these ventures but also to ignite new possibilities for collaboration, investment, and growth in the SRH sector. The challenges we face in sexual and reproductive health are complex, but as these ventures have shown us, innovation, collaboration, and determination can overcome even the most significant obstacles.” Highlights from the flagship startups The Advancing Access to Safe Abortion Platform (AASAP), founded by Richard Mbazumutima, is Rwanda's first telehealth initiative for safe abortion. It provides real-time, accurate information about facilities offering legal and safe abortion services, ensuring girls and young women have access to essential care in a safe, legal, and stigma-free environment. “Through our AASAPFinder web- based platform we offer a safe, legal, and acceptable channel that effectively guides and connects girls and young women to health facilities where they can specifically access legal safe abortion services without delays, stigma, judgement, or discrimination, guided by the Rwandan ministerial order determining conditions to be satisfied for a medical doctor to perform an abortion,” said Mbazumutima. He added: “Over the past year, we have raised approximately $68,000 which has enabled us to support over 4,000 young girls and women in accessing these services. Additionally, we are working to reduce stigma by training healthcare providers on value transformation and qualification standards to ensure they address stigma effectively within the community.” Malaica, founded by Dr. Lorraine Muluka from Kenya, is dedicated to making pregnancy safe and joyful for millions of African women. The organization leverages technology to deliver proven interventions through dedicated nurse-midwives, ensuring a safe and fulfilling pregnancy journey. “The program connects pregnant women with registered nurse- midwives via WhatsApp, providing support throughout pregnancy, including counseling services for pregnancy loss,” explained Dr. Muluka. What sets Malaica apart is its hybrid (online and in- person) asset-light model; instead of building its own facilities, Malaica partners with existing healthcare providers. This approach enhances the care journey for pregnant women while enabling the program to scale rapidly and sustainably. “Definitely, embracing technology in the SRH is what we need to do to address the challenges that we have in this sector. I'm really honored to have been part of this program. We’re really thankful for the Ministry of ICT and Innovation,” she added. Tafadzwa K. Munzwa, a Zambian entrepreneur, is the founder of “Dawa Health”, an AI-powered clinic that democratizes access to maternal care. By training and supporting local health workers, Dawa Health provides essential maternal health and reproductive services. This ensures that women and girls in underserved communities in Zambia receive the information, care, and products they need, exactly when they need them. “Dawa Health offers offline and online solutions include mobile clinic vans making maternal healthcare accessible in marginalized Zambian areas, the DawaMom Al app offering tailored maternal services, a hybrid retail pharmacy selling SRH products like birth kits with delivery services available through eBikes and eTricycles addressing transportation barriers in marginalised communities,” explained Tafadzwa K Munzwa. “We are scaling rapidly in Zambia, growing by more than 50 per cent each month. With a team of over 15 workers, we have already reached more than 7,000 patients. Our goal is to continue expanding and reach 25,000 to 30,000 patients by 2025. We are truly grateful for the support we’ve received from the Ministry of ICT,” he said. Another outstanding venture is “JoCare”, a Rwandan based project that provide SRH information and service accessible to young people with disabilities Specifically, it provides tailored sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, easy-to-use tools, and private support designed for people with disabilities. This helps everyone make informed health decisions, no matter their physical or cognitive abilities. JoCare provides a user-friendly mobile app that includes online medical consultations. The app focuses on being inclusive, involving the community, and using data to improve services.
