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Safaricom-backed M-Tiba joins global tech innovation club

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Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore speaks at St John’s Hospital in Githurai Nairobi on September 16, 2016 during the national roll out of M-TIBA mobile health wallet. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Safaricom-backed #ticker:SCOM mobile phone healthcare service M-Tiba has been admitted into an elite global club of impactful tech inventions, whose pioneer members include Twitter and Spotify.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) took recognition of the local healthcare app by admitting it into the Technology Pioneer 2018 community.

It was among the three African companies that joined the club this year, two of which were from Kenya, including BitPesa.

The Geneva-based WEF has in the past admitted tech giants like Google and Twitter into the exclusive club that M-Tiba now belongs.

It was developed by CarePay in partnership with PharmAccess and mobile service operator Safaricom.

“We welcome CarePay in this diverse group of technology pioneers,” the WEF head of Technology Pioneers Fulvia Montresor said in a statement.

“CarePay and its fellow pioneers are front and centre in shaping the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution and we believe they will be transforming society and industry in a positive way in the years to come.”

Virtual wallet

The local app works as a virtual wallet dedicated to health services and allows users to save and pay for medical services using their mobile phones, acting as a medical savings plan.

The platform also holds health data.

M-Tiba’s recognition cements its prominence after the app last year bagged the 2017 Financial Times/IFC Transformational Business Award in Sustainable Development for its impact in the health sector.

Since its launch in Kenya in 2016, M-Tiba has signed up one million users, connecting 700 healthcare providers who provide treatment to members.

“We are honoured to be recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer.

"Our Kenya team has done an amazing job in building M-TIBA into a proven platform that is highly adaptable and scalable,” said CarePay CEO Kees van Lede.

Launched in 2000, Technology Pioneer annually recognises companies that spearhead cutting-edge technologies with a changing impact on the society.

“At CarePay we are all focused on becoming the preferred technology partner for the public and private healthcare sector.

"Together we can revolutionise the management of large-scale health schemes and achieve universal health coverage for all Kenyans,” said CarePay board chairman John Ngumi.

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