UoN Medical Students’ innovation on Sickle Cell tops at Africa Forward
A team of University of Nairobi medical students has emerged as the winner of the pitch competition at the Africa Forward Youth and Innovation Day after presenting an innovative device designed for the early screening of sickle cell disease.
The award-winning project is led by Nicole Wafula, a fifth-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) student and the Principal Investigator, alongside fellow fifth-year MBChB student Purity Nyamweya, the project’s co-founder. The team also acknowledged Michael Anindo, the Intellectual Property Manager at the University of Nairobi, for his mentorship and support throughout the project’s development.
The event was held at the University Main Campus Grounds in partnership with the French Embassy and attended by the French Ambassador, University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Prof. Margaret Hutchinson, and Prof. Ojuka, Dean of Students at the Faculty of Health Sciences, who also tested the device during the exhibition.
The team’s victory highlights the growing contribution of University of Nairobi medical students to homegrown health innovations aimed at improving early disease detection and advancing healthcare in Kenya.
