Afya Imara
Afya Imara, meaning ‘Strong Health’ in Swahili, is an end-to-end NCD Program implemented to transform chronic disease management in Tanzania.
TANZANIA
Overview
Afya Imara—Swahili for ‘Strong Health’—is an end-to-end NCD Program active across 21 faith-based health facilities in four regions throughout Tanzania.
With Afya Imara, we aim to more efficiently manage patients living with hypertension and diabetes across Tanzania and Sierra Leone. The project is in partnership with the Christian Social Services Committee (CSSC) in Tanzania.
The program directly results from a multi-country strategic partnership between Medtronic LABS and the newly formed Sanofi Global Health Unit, intending to transform chronic disease management for underserved communities worldwide.
This multi-country partnership will leverage Medtronic LABS’s greatest strengths, including our tech-powered healthcare delivery solutions, local field operations/implementation expertise, and patient engagement/education processes.
Sanofi Global Health Unit aims to improve the availability and affordability of thirty essential life-changing medicines while supporting local capacity building with programs for low- and middle-income countries.
Afya Imara: A lasting, measurable impact on the world’s most vulnerable communities
The future of digital health in Tanzania is promising and exciting. There’s a lot of potential for future partnerships between Medtronic LABS, the Ministry of Health, and other partners across the health sector. I’m looking forward to seeing Afya Imara expand across all of Tanzania in the near future.
Hellen Lutta Head of Field Operations, Tanzania at Medtronic LABSHow it works
Community-based screening
We work directly with Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to screen individuals directly in the community.
Screening initiatives allow us to promote awareness surrounding hypertension and diabetes at the same time. We leverage our proprietary SPICE technology platform to optimize community screening and point-of-care diagnostics.
Enrollment and aftercare
After confirming a diagnosis, patients are referred to the nearest health facility, where medical workers enroll them into Afya Imara.
Upon enrolment, patients receive a customized risk score calculated using the WHO-approved clinical algorithm. The risk score ensures a deeply personalized care plan for each patient in the program.
Customized care plan
Patients engage in services and practices customized to their individualized care plan.
Community Health Volunteers then follow up with patients to monitor blood pressure and blood glucose. Patients inform the CHVs by participating in tailored tele-counseling, SMS-based programming, and peer support groups right from their community.
Clinical support
Care teams maintain access to real-time data to enable more efficient, more effective NCD management.
For example, if a patient registers a high reading during a CHW follow-up visit, the clinician is immediately notified. Clinicians can then follow up with patients directly via telemedicine, where they’re empowered to prescribe medication digitally, edit the patient’s care plan, and more.
Screening initiatives allow us to promote awareness surrounding hypertension and diabetes at the same time. We leverage our proprietary SPICE technology platform to optimize community screening and point-of-care diagnostics.
Upon enrolment, patients receive a customized risk score calculated using the WHO-approved clinical algorithm. The risk score ensures a deeply personalized care plan for each patient in the program.
Community Health Volunteers then follow up with patients to monitor blood pressure and blood glucose. Patients inform the CHVs by participating in tailored tele-counseling, SMS-based programming, and peer support groups right from their community.
For example, if a patient registers a high reading during a CHW follow-up visit, the clinician is immediately notified. Clinicians can then follow up with patients directly via telemedicine, where they’re empowered to prescribe medication digitally, edit the patient’s care plan, and more.
Technology Highlights: SPICE
Offline Community Features
The platform’s ability to function offline allows us to reach communities and patients who were previously unreachable.
Customizability
We designed SPICE to be completely adaptable to align with the unique workflows of our diverse health system partners.
Telecounseling
Our telecounseling platform enables data-driven follow-ups largely when patients need it most.
Learn more about the technology behind Afya Imara
EXPLORE SPICE
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