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Safaricom’s M-Tiba bags top award for health

BOB

Safaricom Chief Executive Bob Collymore. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Safaricom’s #ticker:SCOM healthcare app M-Tiba has bagged the 2017 Financial Times/IFC Transformational Business Award in Sustainable Development for its impact in the health sector.

The app developed in partnership with CarePay and PharmAccess helps increase access to health services through a mobile wallet on users’ phones.

Since its launch in Kenya last year, M-Tiba has signed up an estimated 920,000 people, connecteing 450 healthcare providers who have treated over 100,000 patients.

Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore said M-tiba has saved users the financial strain associated with making trips to the clinic.

“This award is a great recognition of how mobile – through innovative solutions like M-TIBA – is transforming access to essential services for millions of Kenyans,” he said.

CarePay chief executive Kees Van Lede said the plan is to regularly scale up the app by engaging with partners within the health sector.

To date, more than ten donor and corporate schemes are running on M-Tiba with the latest entrant being the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in April this year.