Philips South Africa has named the hearScreen mHealth solution as the first winner of its South African Innovation Fellows Competition – an initiative it launched in August in collaboration with the Innovation Hub to unlock local talent and address regionally relevant challenges in healthcare.
 
The hearScreen mHealth solution made widespread systematic hearing testing possible by providing a cost-effective, sustainable smartphone application that provided clinically valid tests and could be operated by generalist health personnel, along with cloud-based data management and referral systems linking patients to services.
 
Recent World Health Organisation estimates indicated that there were 360-million people, or 5.3% of the overall population, with disabling hearing loss.

The prevalence of disabling hearing loss in children was greatest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Around one-third of persons over 65 years were affected by disabling hearing loss, with the prevalence being highest in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Moreover, there was less than one hearing health provider to every one-million people in Africa.

“We are extremely honoured that Philips has recognised our hearScreen mHealth solution as an innovation that can help many people live more fulfilling lives.

“Winning the Philips Innovation Fellows competition will help us make widespread systematic hearing testing possible, particularly within underserved communities, through this cost-effective, sustainable solution that can be operated by laypersons in primary healthcare contexts,” competition winner and University of Pretoria Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology professor De Wet Swanepoel said in a statement.
 
The hearScreen mHealth solution would receive a R200 000 research and development grant towards the development and production of the technology.

Swanepoel would also undergo a one-year fellowship, during which Philips would assist him by offering business advice on how to launch, market and sell the product.
 
2015 Innovation Fellows Competition finalists included an information technology platform and mobile kiosk that increased access to maternal care;
a low-cost portable mechanical noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure ventilator; a software service designed to facilitate remote monitoring and communication between patients and their caregivers; and a mobile communication app aimed at increasing the capacity of healthcare workers and medical equipment at primary healthcare sites.
 
Each of these finalists received a cash prize of R12 000.

“We are now looking forward to turning De Wet Swanepoel's winning entry into a healthcare solution that will make a real and impactful difference in the lives of people across Africa,” Philips Africa senior VP and CEO JJ Van Dongen remarked.