At the Africa HealthTech Summit in Kigali, innovators showcased technologies that are changing how health services are delivered, including tools for monitoring pregnancies, supporting community health workers, detecting illness and helping people track their health. Monitoring pregnancies and screening for cancer Among the technologies on display during the event that concluded on Friday, October 2, is Fetosense, a smartphone-based foetal monitor developed by CareNX Innovations from India. The device records a baby’s heart rate and uterine contractions and can help identify problems such as asphyxia (lack of oxygen, leading to unconsciousness or death) and prematurity, allowing a frontline health worker to act earlier. Dr Aditya Kulkarni, founder and CEO of CareNX Innovations, said Fetosense is already being used in more than 2,500 hospitals and has screened more than one million pregnant women. It is being used in Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania, he said. The company showcased the technology in Rwanda for the first time. CareNX has another technology for cervical cancer screening that uses a mobile phone to simplify colposcopy. A frontline health worker takes images of the cervix, which are processed by an AI algorithm to classify whether the woman is in a cancerous or non-cancerous category. Women can then be scheduled for follow-up care. Kulkarni said the company is interested in discussions with the Ministry of Health on whether Fetosense could be used in Rwanda. Digital platform for community health workers Fionet, a mobile health technology platform, showcased Community e-Buzima, a digital application used by community health workers. Tom Bellman, Head of Solutions at Fionet, said the application was developed to work even where internet access is unreliable. “One of the things that makes it unique is that it is designed keeping in mind that community health workers may not have internet connection at all times, so it was designed offline first,” he said. Community e-Buzima brings different community health programmes into one application instead of having separate systems for malaria, non-communicable diseases and other services. The application can analyse patient information offline, while its malaria function uses AI to help community health workers read rapid diagnostic tests. After a malaria test is performed, the health worker photographs the test with a phone, which analyses it and indicates whether it is positive or negative. The system also includes logistics management, allowing health workers to request and manage supplies digitally while managers can see which workers are running short of malaria medicines. The app was launched in Rwanda by the Ministry of Health in 2025 and has helped digitise health records, reducing reliance on paper-based systems, with more than 57,563 community health workers. Dr Vivek Akkineni, Director of Products and Customer Experience at Fionet, said the company is adapting the system for use in other African countries, including Nigeria, Togo and the Central African Republic. Checking health before illness becomes serious In Ethiopia, Kote Health is developing a preventive healthcare platform centred on its Smart Kiosk. The kiosk measures more than 20 health indicators, including temperature, oxygen levels, blood pressure and heart activity. By touching sensors, users can have their bone strength, protein levels and body mass index checked, as well as colour blindness and vision. The results are sent to the Kote app dashboard within milliseconds. Over time, the information creates a record of the user’s health, while algorithms analyse the data and generate a health score. Solomon Kassa, co-founder of Kote Health, said the system can alert health care providers when it detects an abnormal result, such as high blood pressure or indicators that may require further attention. The company is working towards adding telemedicine, allowing a user with a potentially serious result to speak to a doctor through video. A future version is expected to include glucose testing and blood collection. Kassa said that for Kote Health to connect users with hospitals, clinics and laboratories, the system needs data exchange between the different health services. Open Tena is designed to address this gap. Ben Tesfaye, co-founder and CEO of Medrafa, said Open Tena is an interoperability platform that connects hospitals, pharmacies, insurers and government systems. “It’s an interoperability layer. What it does is it connects hospitals to hospitals, pharmacies, insurances, government, pretty much the whole digital ecosystem,” he said. Open Tena is currently being piloted in Ethiopia and has been made open source, with the developers seeking partners in other African countries to test and adapt it. Women’s wellness app For women’s health and fitness, Dr Christelle Giraneza, Health and Clinical Partner at She Shape Wellness, is showcasing the “She Shape app.” The app is being developed to help women track their body composition, access workout videos and connect with fitness and health professionals without always having to meet them in person. It uses information from a body composition machine, with AI and machine learning analysing exercise, nutrition and changes in body composition to assess whether a woman’s workouts and diet are aligned with her progress. The app is currently being tested by the She Shape community and is expected to launch in December. Giraneza said testing has already led the developers to change parts of the system after it directed a user with heart problems and high blood pressure towards workouts when she should first have received medical clearance. “We don’t want to launch it until we realise we have learned everything about the app,” she said.
