A new fellow, a new solution to accelerate access to care

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Meet Mohammed Dalwai, the social entrepreneur ​behind EMGGui​dance: A platform that saves lives by giving doctors access to free ​information and guidelines at the point of care.

We have a new inspiring Ashoka Fellow in our midst! Mohammed Dalwai, selected among four other social entrepreneurs this year, is driving system change and providing access to healthcare in South Africa. His solution is called the Essential Medical Guidanc (EMGuidance) platform, which aims to provide "a comprehensive digital source of locally relevant medicines information and clinical guidelines", started in South Africa. A total of 7,500 healthcare professionals are already registered and using the platform.

The problem, the strategy, the person

Healthcare systems across Sub-Saharan Africa have a significant shortage of healthcare workers, due to the inadequacy of the region’s current healthcare education system. ​On top of that, there is a significant difference between urban and rural areas - and healthcare workers who do serve these underserved communities often ​​end up in facilities that are short-staffed, with poor education and training.

This means that healthcare workers lack access to the most up-to-date treatment guidelines and medicines information. With the help of an application, Mohammed and his team offer as much information as possible for free, so that healthcare professionals can offer their patients the best care possible. ​Through the EMGGuidance app, healthcare professionals can access comprehensive medicines information, local clinical guidelines and health system information without having to be constantly connected to the internet.​

Mohammed, moved by his own experiences in the field as an emergency doctor ​in Northern Pakistan, emphasizes ​the importance of this platform​: