Waspito is a mobile health application developed in 2020 by the start-up company run by Cameroonian Jean Lobé Lobé. It enables users to consult a doctor online.

A mobile application to facilitate access to healthcare

Waspito has a number of objectives :
- to facilitate access to healthcare for all those who need it
- to enable people in need and/or living in rural areas or far from hospitals to receive treatment.

The app allows them to save time and resources and benefit from the expertise of health specialists at lower cost.

How does Waspito work ?

To take advantage of Waspito's services, users must :
- download the application from Play store or Apple store,
- create an account or log in to their account,
- click on the tab corresponding to the service they want to use (chat in a forum, consult a doctor, for example) and then follow the instructions.

Patients can choose the doctor they want to see, and they can carry out their own health tests. They select the prescribed test, specify whether they want the lab to come to their home to take the sample, validate the order and the rest is just a game.

Challenges

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a desperate shortage of healthcare staff. In 2021, there were an average of 2.3 doctors and 12.6 nurses/midwives per 10,000 inhabitants. In 2024, the figures have not changed much. 

Many Africans do not have access to quality healthcare. Many complain about the poor quality of service, the lack of equipment and medicines, the poor state of infrastructure and the length of waiting times in hospitals (Afrobarometer survey, 2024).

So this type of initiative is to be encouraged. The start-up won the Africa Tech Awards in the Health Tech category in 2023, which enabled it to receive over $2 million in funding to develop.

Source: Waspito, Afrobarometer (april 2024)

Vanessa Ntoh