Bophelo, the app, is going to be a huge help to those on chronic sickness medicines in South Africa.
At the 2023 South Africa Innovation Summit, the company’s co-founder and CEO, Mxolisi Booi, told Engineering News that the app will assist users in sticking to their prescription schedule.
He added that a bot will serve as a friend to remember and urge patients to take their prescription at a designated time, and will notify patients when it is time to do so.
“We offer assistance via our app to ensure that our patients don’t overlook a dose of their life-saving medications,” stated Booi.
He claimed that the software was created by his company, Agile Africa, since he believed that medication adherence was crucial.
The condition of patients deteriorated as a result of noncompliance with drug regimens. Additionally, it might encourage the emergence of disease strains that are resistant to drugs, the article stated.
Bophelo, the word for “life” in Setswana and Sesotho.
The software was first released to assist those who are HIV/AIDS positive. Its first significant use is as part of the THRIVE initiative, which is a collaboration with Access Chapter 2, an organisation dedicated to HIV/AIDS.
According to Booi, the goal of this project is to provide individuals the tools they need to take charge of their own prescription and health care.
“Patients can download the app for free,” he said.
“Through the healthcare organizations, we generate revenue. Every patient they “onboard” on the app costs us an annual subscription fee. We give adherence reports for each and every patient to the healthcare organisations in exchange. We also give each patient individualised support.
On behalf of Access Chapter 2, Agile Africa is actively onboarding 1,000 HIV/AIDS patients.
A legal clinic called Access Chapter 2 strives to uphold and defend the human rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI individuals in South Africa.
According to the report, Booi and his co-founder both have backgrounds in nursing, which helped them recognise that there was a genuine issue that needed to be addressed and verify the concept.
All app shops offer a free download for the app.
Editor’s note: This pioneering health entrepreneur Mxolisi Booi and his partner are determined to save the lives of people who are on chronic medication throughout the country. This is done through an app that provides support to patients to alert them not to miss a dose of their lifesaving meds.
Description: Through the app patients will be reminded when they have to take their medication with a help of a bot that will act as friend to remind and encourage patients to take their medication at a specific time.
Editor: Thato Mahlangu
Project manager: Do4SA