Cameroon - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

A digital Health start-up providing accessible and affordable sexual health services to youth, with an emphasis on empowering young women with family planning to compete fairly in society, allowing them to achieve their dreams.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

We are developing a state-of-the-art telehealth platform that combines advanced technology, AI tools, and traditional family planning methods to prevent half a million unplanned pregnancies, and hundreds of maternal deaths from unsafe abortions while saving millions of dollars annually. This platform effectively delivers family planning counseling and services to women of reproductive age, empowering them to take control of their lives. In addition to family planning, we confidently offer sexual health services for couples to address issues such as premature ejaculation, impotence, and sexual dysfunction, to enhance the quality of their relationships significantly. Our services also include providing emergency family planning interventions through a network of nearby pharmacies and health facilities.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

High rates of unplanned pregnancies Increased maternal deaths from unsafe abortions Spending 3 .3 billion FCFA annually on unplanned pregnancies and their complications Need for emergency contraception measures Sexual health services for the 40% of men with sexual performance problems

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Reduced rate of unplanned pregnancy. Reduced maternal deaths from unsafe abortions Empowering young women with the ability to choose when to get pregnant according to their academic aspirations, professional ambitions, and health situations Boost the self-esteem of the thousands of men suffering from unsatisfactory sexual life with their partners

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Women of reproductive age group aged 18-49 years old in relationships seeking fulfilling relations while pursuing their dreams Married women with the need to plan their pregnancies according to their financial, professional, and health situations Men struggling with poor sexual performance

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-09-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

4

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Blessing Lum is an intrapreneur with a deep understanding of the African business environment. She evaluates business solutions considering their benefits, risks, and impacts. She is a customer-focused professional who is committed to meeting customer needs, enhancing satisfaction, and fostering loyalty in any work environment she is a part of. She holds a BA in Business Management from the African Leadership College in Mauritius. Dr. Mforteh A. is a passionate obstetrician and gynecologist with over 5 years of experience in sexual and reproductive health. Naturinda Emmanuel is a Biomedical Scientist and Entrepreneurship Teacher. He has trained over 500 early-stage entrepreneurs in Africa and has secured and managed entrepreneurship and research funding from major granting institutions such as the Resolution Project and Queen's University. Akwo Tomas is an early career software engineer with over 2 years of working experience, with a track record of amazing projects.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ehealthi-doctors/

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

f) Healthcare (healthcare equipment and services)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Spending on health significantly affects spending of every income, directly impacting how much is available for other expenses. Our solution reduces expenditure on health and ensures families are not overwhelmed by several kids they can't take care of. We equally empower women to pursue their academics and careers, establishing before getting into reproduction thereby reducing poverty as many women become responsible for themselves and their families.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

We believe our project somewhat contributes to reducing hunger as a controlled family size will mean reduced mouths to feed with the kids delivered according to the available resources that can give them a better chance at succeeding in the world without so much suffering

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Sex is one of the riskiest behaviors known to man as many leading causes of morbidity and mortality known to man, including unplanned pregnancies that contribute to maternal mortality via unsafe abortions in a setting where abortions are illegal, incurable sexually transmitted infections, fertility issues, and sexual performance issues that plague relationships and couples with so much anxiety, discontent, low self-esteem and heartbreaking breakups.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

6

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Hundreds to thousands of women drop out of school yearly or are significantly distracted by unplanned pregnancies yearly with Cameroon recording over 500000 unplanned pregnancies yearly. Therefore giving women the chance to decide when to fall pregnant without being guilty of an abortion, dropping out of school, getting distracted at school, or dying from an unsafe abortion, ensures women remain in school while leading a fulfilling social life like their male counterparts.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Our solution addresses a core barrier to girl's and women's ability to compete fairly in academic and professional settings, thereby leveling up the competition playground for men and women. By providing women with safe family planning options tailored to fit their specific needs, women will be more confident about their relationships, will be able to get an uninterrupted education, and unplanned pregnancies that do not align with their goals

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on water and sanitation

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on affordable energy and clean energy

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on decent work and economic growth but will offer women a chance to compete fairly for decent work enabling inclusivity and ensuring more talent is available for economic growth

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

we do not have a major influence on Industry Innovation and Infrastructure.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

Unplanned pregnancy is a known barrier to women both in academics and at work, limiting their progress and the ability to compete fairly especially in demanding lead roles or professions. By putting women in charge of their reproductive lives we are removing a significant barrier in both academic and professional settings allowing women and young girls to compete more fairly and equally for available opportunities.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Our solution empowers women an under-tapped human resource that when fully expressed will contribute significantly to sustainable homes, communities and cities

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on responsible consumption and production

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on climate action

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on life below water

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

Our work will have no direct influence on life on land

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

Our work will not directly impact justice and strong institutions

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

3

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

Our work will not directly impact Partnerships for Goals

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

2

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

6

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

Unlike every other existing solution to family planning accessibility that has failed to curb the annual number of unplanned pregnancies and deaths from unsafe abortions, our services ensure affordable methods delivered at the comfort of homes after comprehensive expert consultations that ensure women go in for method that fits their health, desires and socio-cultural values.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

We have platforms like Waspito, EasyHealth, and Nang providing sexual and reproductive services but not have been able to specifically solve the urgent problem of poor accessibility to family planning methods, a pain point we have identified and mapped out a context-specific solution for it.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Have encouraged and motivated a lady who recently started an association social enterprise to empower young women creating more inclusive academic and work settings. Mentor young women tryin to be changemakers and support female founders with technical advise on best practices while helping them with publicity.