Tech tools have become essential to finding alternative solutions for some of the key challenges facing populations in Africa. In Kenya,  a tech entrepreneur wants to help people quickly access quality healthcare in case of illness.  

Snark Health is a digital solution developed by a Kenyan startup. It helps users consult doctors online, without paying a dime sometimes.  

“Snark Health is the next generation of healthcare built around the Doctor-Patient relationship. We help patients improve their access to healthcare and lower their cost of care. We help doctors make more money,” the solution informs on its website. 

Its services are accessible only through an Android app. Once they download the app, users can set up their accounts by filling in details like name, surname, phone number, email, blood type, blood pressure, etc.  Those details give doctors the required information on patients before consultations.  

Regardless of the social stratum to which the patient belongs, he or she can easily access care even without health insurance. To facilitate the process, Snark Health launched a cryptocurrency called Hippocratic Coin. Users can gradually save money for healthcare by buying the coins. When they need healthcare, they can exchange the coins to top-up their M-Pesa (mobile money) wallets to make payments.  

For residents in rural areas with no or poor access to the internet, the solution has a USSD code they can dial to access its services. 

In 2022, Snark Health was among the twelve startups to participate in the first cohort of the FAST accelerator program created to strengthen and evolve the African digital ecosystem. The program lasted 12 weeks and participants received $250,000 in Microsoft Azure cloud credits, access to Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, OpenAI programming interfaces, and Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.

Adoni Conrad Quenum