Blessing Okwuagba

Nigerian tech entrepreneur revolutionizing healthcare access through AI-driven telemedicine platforms

Blessing Okwuagba is the founder and CEO of Afya Care, a groundbreaking telemedicine platform that has transformed healthcare access across sub-Saharan Africa. Launching in 2021 during the height of the pandemic, her company developed Africa's first AI-driven diagnostic system capable of accurately diagnosing over 80% of common illnesses through symptom analysis. This innovation has enabled millions of patients in remote areas to receive accurate diagnoses without needing to travel long distances. Okwuagba's platform now serves over 5 million users across 15 countries through partnerships with local governments and NGOs. Her work has been featured in Wired Magazine and earned her a 2023 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award.

What makes Okwuagba's contribution uniquely impactful is her focus on cultural adaptation. Unlike many foreign tech solutions, Afya Care's algorithms are trained on local medical datasets and integrate traditional healing practices where appropriate. The platform also employs local community health workers as virtual assistants, creating thousands of jobs while improving healthcare literacy. In 2024, she expanded the service to include maternal health tracking features that have reduced postnatal mortality rates by 34% in pilot regions. Okwuagba's vision of 'healthcare without borders' continues to inspire a new generation of African technologists addressing continent-specific challenges through innovation.