Esther Ogbonna

Nigerian biochemist developing affordable cancer diagnostics for African clinics

Esther Ogbonna (b.1990) is a Nigerian scientist whose low-cost diagnostic tools have transformed cancer detection in resource-poor settings. As principal researcher at AfroBiotech Innovations, she invented the QuickTest kit - a paper-based diagnostic that costs $1.50 and provides results in 15 minutes. Her 2021 breakthrough in detecting cervical cancer biomarkers using smartphone imaging technology has been adopted by 12 African nations. Ogbonna's team developed the first continent-wide telepathology network linking rural clinics to Lagos' University Teaching Hospital. Her work increased early-stage cancer detection rates in rural Nigeria from 12% to 47% by 2023. She pioneered the Mobile Health Van initiative providing free screenings in 150+ villages annually. Ogbonna's TED Talk Democratizing Diagnostics (2022) has inspired similar projects in Kenya and Ethiopia. She recently launched a fellowship program training 50 African women annually in biomedical engineering through her nonprofit TechFem Lab.