Salamat (Wise Afghanistan)

Solution Pitch

The Problem

Every 27 minutes, a woman in Afghanistan dies due to complications in childbirth. In 3 out of 4 cases the newborn dies too. These deaths can be prevented by addressing three key barriers to high-quality and affordable health care: lack of maternal health education, resources, and communication. 

The Solution

Salamat is the first maternal health technology in Afghanistan. Salamat empowers women to seek maternal healthcare services prior to delivery, enables doctors to easily access and record patient data during the visit, and ensures patient-provider communication post-visit.

The app securely stores patient records while enabling patient-doctor communication and follow-up. It integrates paper-based patient records with digital data in both offline and online capacities. This allows providers to make informed decisions regarding patient care. Clinicians can use Salamat to: add patient records, procure existing records, remind patients for overdue visits via text/phone, and schedule appointments.

Stats 

Salamat registered 3,000 women during a one-year pilot. Within the next 5 years, Salamat plans to reach 3 million Afghan women.

Market Opportunity

According to the Ministry of Health, Afghans spend $285 million a year on medical treatment abroad, mostly in Pakistan, India and Turkey. An MSF report stated that one in every five of the patients interviewed had a family member or close friend who had died within the last year due to a lack of access to medical care. The government does not have a reliable resource to collect data, especially in areas that are difficult to access due to insecurity and war. In Salamat’s nine month beta test in 5 Afghan hospitals, 100 percent of participating facilitators were able to access patient medical records in 1 minute and there was a 650 percent increase in completion of the WHO-recommended four prenatal visits. 

Organization Highlights

• Presented at the Yale Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Conference, World Health Summit 2019

• Recognized by the Afghan Ministry of Health and Afghan President’s Office 

• Recipient of Award on behalf of Johns Hopkins University and USAID

• Secured cross-sectoral partnerships with the Afghan Government and Public Entities, Private Sector, and Academic Institutions

Partnership Goals

Salamat currently seeks:

• Expert support in developing their business model & strategy—specifically brainstorming on a sustainable financial/revenue model 

• Marketing and rebranding support, including website, external material/content, copyrighting content, to strengthen Salamat ‘brand’ and identify opportunities for PR/exposure 

• Technical support to improve and expand features of the the app based on feedback from the pilot--telemedicine and patient educational platform 

• Expert advice on developing and delivering grant applications and investor pitches

• Development experts, women’s empowerment/gender experts, education and healthcare-focused leaders interested in joining Salamat’s advisory board