The 2024 Summer Healthcare Innovation Competition Held
The 2024 Summer Healthcare Hackathon took place from June 7 to 10 at Haramaya University in partnership with Impact-Xcelerate.
The competition aimed to foster innovation in healthcare by bringing together interdisciplinary teams to address pressing challenges in the healthcare sector through creative solutions.
Dr. Abdi Nemera, the Scientific Director of Haramaya Institute of Technology, explained that the goal of the HU-IX Healthcare Hackathon 2024 was to foster entrepreneurship and potentially encourage start-ups post-competition. The objective of the hackathon was to engage cross-functional teams in tackling pertinent healthcare challenges in Ethiopia or East Africa and present solutions to judges and a wider audience. Twenty-four individuals representing diverse backgrounds, such as students, healthcare professionals, and staff, participated in the event.
The hackathon focused on promoting maternal healthcare by addressing challenges such as developing vital signs monitoring wearable devices, creating a blood hemoglobin level early detection device to diagnose anemia, designing a low-cost ultrasound machine that can be easily operated by healthcare workers in remote areas, and developing a telemedicine platform specifically for prenatal consultations with reliable connectivity and user-friendly interfaces for both healthcare providers and pregnant women.
Participants were encouraged to create solutions that would improve patient care, enhance healthcare delivery, increase accessibility, and make use of emerging technologies.
Mr. Wahib Abubakar Abdullahi, the Head of the School of Electrical Engineering at Haramaya University, mentioned that interdisciplinary teams were formed, bringing together expertise in healthcare, technology, design, and business. These teams actively brainstormed innovative solutions to address predefined challenges or identify problem areas within healthcare. They worked tirelessly to develop prototypes, leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics.
Experienced mentors from Haramaya University and Impact Xcelerate provided guidance, feedback, and support throughout the hackathon, helping teams refine their ideas and strategies. Following the event, teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges from Haramaya University and Impact Xcelerate, showcasing the impact, feasibility, and scalability of their projects. The hackathon yielded a wide array of innovative solutions addressing various healthcare challenges, including telemedicine platforms, wearable devices for remote patient monitoring, and mobile app solutions for secure health data management.
The event fostered collaboration among participants from diverse disciplines, nurturing a culture of teamwork and knowledge sharing. All participants received certificates of excellence in recognition of their invaluable contributions to the success of the hackathon.
The summer 2024 Healthcare Hackathon was a platform for creative thinking, collaboration, and innovation in healthcare. By bringing together diverse talents and perspectives, the event generated numerous groundbreaking solutions with the potential to drive positive change in the industry.
Moving forward, it is essential to build upon the momentum generated by the hackathon and continue to support and nurture healthcare innovation for the benefit of patients and communities in Ethiopia and East Africa.
Reporter: Shemsedin Mohammed
Photographer: Tewodros Lishan
Haramaya University Public and International Relations Directorate