Blessing Okoh

Nigerian healthcare innovator who created a platform revolutionizing access to medical care in rural Africa

Blessing Okoh is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and technologist whose work has profoundly impacted healthcare accessibility across West Africa. Born in Lagos in 1985, she developed an early passion for technology and its potential to solve societal challenges. After earning a computer science degree from the University of Lagos, she worked in IT consulting before witnessing the stark healthcare disparities during a rural outreach program in 2008.

In 2012, she founded AfyaCare, a digital health platform connecting rural communities with urban medical specialists through telemedicine solutions. The platform now serves over 2 million patients annually across 15 countries, offering diagnostic services, prescription delivery, and maternal health monitoring. Her innovation earned recognition from the World Health Organization and a $500k grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016.

Okoh's McKinsey & Company case study highlighted how her model reduced maternal mortality rates by 40% in participating regions. She also pioneered mobile health camps using solar-powered diagnostic kits, featured in TechCrunch's 2019 Africa Tech Report. Her TED Talk 'Bridging Healthcare Deserts' has garnered over 2 million views.

In 2020, she launched the African Health Innovators Network, a platform supporting 300+ startups in medical tech. Her work was profiled in Forbes Africa and she received the Cartier Women's Initiative Award in 2017. Okoh continues to advocate for policy changes through her role at the African Union's Health Commission, demonstrating how technology can democratize essential services.