Betty Chebet

Kenyan tech entrepreneur revolutionizing women's healthcare access through digital platforms

Betty Chebet is a visionary Kenyan entrepreneur whose work in digital health innovation has made a transformative impact on women's healthcare access across Africa. Born in 1992 in Nairobi, she grew up witnessing the challenges faced by rural communities in accessing basic healthcare services. After completing her studies in computer science at the University of Nairobi, she founded Mama Health Africa in 2021 - a groundbreaking platform connecting pregnant women with healthcare providers through SMS and mobile apps.

Her platform has now expanded to serve over 500,000 users across 12 African countries. The system uses AI-driven algorithms to match patients with the nearest available clinics and provides essential health information in local languages. This initiative has significantly reduced maternal mortality rates in regions where traditional healthcare infrastructure is lacking. In 2023, her work earned her the prestigious Tech4Africa Innovation Award.

Betty's approach combines cutting-edge technology with deep cultural understanding. She partners with local midwives and traditional birth attendants to ensure the platform respects cultural practices while introducing life-saving medical innovations. Her TEDx Nairobi talk on 'Digital Bridges to Maternal Health' has been viewed over 2 million times globally, sparking international collaborations with organizations like UNICEF.

In 2024, she launched the African Health Futures initiative, a training program teaching young women in underserved areas to become tech-savvy health advocates. Over 1,500 women have graduated from this program, many going on to start their own health tech ventures. Her work exemplifies how technology can be a powerful equalizer in global health disparities.

Media coverage includes a BBC World News feature highlighting her innovations and a TechCrunch article about her funding round that attracted $5 million in impact investments. Betty's ultimate vision is to create a continent-wide network of interconnected health platforms, ensuring no mother has to give birth without professional care.