Accra, Ghana//-Illumigyn, an Israeli global revolution in women’s healthcare has positioned itself on the frontline of women’s reproductive health, targeting cervical cancer to affect women, while expanding healthcare access.
Mrs Hillegonda Groen, Chief Marketing Officer at Illumigyn who disclosed this in an interview, explains: “At the heart of illumigyn’s mission, is the democratization of healthcare”.
Women – even in countries with highly developed medical systems – do not have the right access to healthcare, and in particular, when it comes to tests and basic procedures that can prevent or at least forewarn of serious illness”, she adds.
On a mission
So, since 2012, Illumigyn has been on a mission to transform and democratize women’s healthcare, with its smart colposcopic system, Gynoscope (FDA-cleared), Mrs Groen says.
“We are a startup which has already helped reach and care for women in inner cities, in remote areas, and even in conflict zones”.
The company which was recently invited by the Nigerian government to come and showcase its world class healthcare solutions says it is grateful for the opportunity.
Nigeria is the leading country in Africa, and the venue of the event is the home of the Nigerian Ambassador to Israel. According to World Bank statistics, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 300 million women between the age of 15 and 64.
Also, according to International Atomic Energy Agency statistics, cervical cancer kills more than 300,000 women in Africa every year.
Cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer to affect women according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, is curable if diagnosed and treated early.
The tragedy is that, while this type of cancer is preventable, WHO figures show that poor access to screening and treatment contributes to 90% of deaths.
Routine gynecological examination
Mrs Groen notes that Illumigyn offers a complete and mobile ecosystem for routine gynecological examination and procedure that is designed to deliver high-quality optics, powerful magnification, and optimal lighting alongside secure cloud-based archiving, automatic documentation, and remote access to high-resolution imagery on demand by any caregiver.
It’s suitable for any point of care, including remote areas and gender-sensitive caregiving, as well as life-saving cervical exams performed anywhere by any medical caregiver, she states.
Illumigyn which signed an operating contract in Africa in November 2021 explains TheillumigynGynescope™ makes gynecological examinations simpler and more accessible, enabling more women across rural Africa access to better and significantly less expensive gynecological examinations and as a result can assist in saving lives.
“Our logistics and training center in Abuja will be completed in a month. This is an important step in our development. Communities across the African continent especially have long suffered from inadequate support when it comes to healthcare, and the women in those communities and diverse populations have often borne the brunt.
We are so excited and deeply moved to be offering women in Africa a better chance to be healthy”.
Activities in Africa
The company, Mrs Groen says, is initiating activities with local nonprofit organizations, governments, clinics and hospitals; and it is currently expecting registration in Nigeria and Ghana.
It has also initiated processes in the Ivory Coast, South Africa and Morocco to expand its activities to those countries.
Competitive edge
The easy-to-use innovative system enables any caregiver to perform the exam and upload the scans privately to the cloud for diagnosis by a gynacologist anywhere in the world.
The illumigyn Gynescope System is provided free of charge, including all training programs. The end users will be charged only for exams and diagnoses.
Cooperation with governments in Africa is a must. Screening in rural areas is important, but to ensure treatment is provided we need government and/or NGO support.
African Eye Report
