mPedigree: Using cellphones to tackle fake drugs in Africa
The World Health Organization believes that 25% of the medicines sold around the developing world are inauthentic copies containing little or no active ingredients. Medication like this increases the resistance of pathogens to first-line medication and in many cases causes fatality.
But what if a mother caring for her sick child who needs a prescription drug in rural Ghana, could determine by a quick SMS/text-message via her cellphone that the prescription drug she intends to purchase is safe for her child and not a fake?
mPedigree, a Ghanaian start-up, is working to make this a reality throughout Africa. I recently met one of the founders, Bright Simons, a dynamic, young social entrepreneur from Ghana, who is on a mission to find partners and investors and spread the word about mPedigree. If mPedigree is able to forge the public-private partnerships necessary between governments, the pharmaceutical industries, and telecom giants, this technology may well become a revolutionary force in bringing access to safe drugs to people across the developing world.
Read about mPedigree’s approach and Bright’s efforts in this interview with him in June 2008:
MPedigree: Combating Counterfeit Drugs
Source: http://beyondgoodintentions.wordpress.com
Sourc:
The new report is too horrorfying but i think this can be reduced.The efforts of the recieving countries are very much crucial to this life battle.As for the exporting countries not untill WHO raised harsh sanctions against them, it will always lure to their advantage. Drug counterfeiting should be given the same attention as other illicit drugs such as cocaine etc. Trafficers should be given harsher punishmen t because counterfeit drugs are more dangerous and poses greater death threat, if not total extermination of the human race.
SUGGESTION:Bright Simon must do everything possible to see this life saving dream come true. He should petition the President of Ghana for help and some of us will add our voice to noble mission. God bless you, Bright Simon
Dear Mpedigree.Net,
Real real great done. My admiration !
But… This is already being done on a professional note.
Mr. Bright Simon is a very good guy, but what he does not know is that what he has invented, was already patented in various versions - and never implemented - as the way he has done it does not work when growing to scale.
In order to ensure that this system can work, several very very advanced technologies must be applied to Mr. Bright Simons re-invention.
The new in Bright Simons invention is the use of a mobile phone, but that part was not possible to get patented (!!). (Reason: Use of a mobile phone is straight forward add on on the existing patents, for any normally skilled engineer).
However, the technologies which we applied to make this workable on a global scale, was possible to patent, as they contained serious inventions in this field which has not been seen in any of the previous patents.
There are in existence about 110 patents, which covers methods similar to Bright Simons invention, and some of them do use mobile phone.
Digital Age Institute has thus done an invention which will put an efficient and effective stop to counterfeit, and we would be very happy to work together with mpedigree or who ever may have a genuine interest in stopping this vice. Besides the 700,000 deaths (in Africa only) per year, there are millions of people world wide, who all of them are chemically maimed for life by taking either chemicals, expired medicines (of any other kind - just repackaged into branded names for quick getting rid of them), wrong medicines, or, outright - in the best cases - just calcium tablets (of which some of them have saw dust inside).
Our system is working in pilot and prototype, and we are working together with some of the worlds largest medical manufacturers today to put a stop to this vice.
In order to secure that this process will continue even after our death, we have engaged international organisations to own the patents pending such that should we die (which can easily happen if you own rights to things like this), then the process to stop this vice will live on. These international organisations have obliged themselves not to give up for any pressure, and we have all of us (we are 43 of us) signed declarations that we write off any and all ownership rights, such that we cannot even be pressured to ask for the patents.
It is unfortunately not possible to make this happen worldwide, unless you wear business glasses. So we have done that. We intend to make a non-profit approach on the medical scenario and on the environmental areas, and a for-profit approach on other products which do not have a direct harming effect on human health, or environment.
We would be happy for dialogue in this area, and remain,
Yours Sincerely
Digital Age Institute Ltd., (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Canada, UK, Malaysia, Bahamas, Panama, Kenya)
Toni Kingo et al.
Why do Kenyans rush to squash things from Ghana and claim initial ownership? I believe this project is laudable and needs to be commended and supported. I will even suggest it’s made open source so developers world wide could contribute in various ways to make it a global project that benefits all. What’s there to loose anyway since it’s free to consumers in the first place
Toni, In reality, there are no inventions in life because every innovation springs from things already in place. We build on things, we build on what others have done, we build on things we do ourselves. In a fast pace world, nobody has time to start afresh, the world won’t wait for you. That’s why we collaborate and compete.
Bright Simmons, contact me for technical support if you need more hands programmatically &all. But consider making this an open source project. Review some of the open source licenses and determine which one suits this project. I can tell it will help
i wish to know how to check for fake medicines on my cellphone
Hey! hey!!hey!!!,Bright has done it again……the world is waiting for its problems to be solved.let nobody crticised this great work from my lead mentor ,simmons.
I believe this project is laudable and needs to be commended and supported.
Its going to help if well implementred in ghana and africa as a whole.Lets help the revolution that bright is seerking for,some are born leaders and others are followers…………..Iam in full support and prepared to help in any way……..hopefully financially.bright lets have a cup of coffee over this and lets talk about how my company and yours can parthner in this project.
thanks bright ……………….lam proud of you.
Hello there,
I am very proud of what you guys are doing. How can we participate?
Hi Simeon,i love the idea behind this great project…..its a great project indeed and you really need the support of people and the government…………..most of this practices are from the in house,there are some big guys out there that will want to do everything to stop this…..but i assure you with God at your side and persistence you will WIN…….What i will like to say is that this same stuff have been in the heart of some youths in Nigeria{am part of those youth,but we are starting small……our target is only a state,i know that is a small dream…..but we are starting some where so to reach the world…………
we are to save the world,God we not come down here…………hello sir,i believe in this great project and since we are upcoming we don’t mind if you can give us any useful tip and we are ready to work with you in any area.
Thanks.
I am an employee of vodafone Ghana and want to know more about how the technology of using SMS to detect fake drug works? My true interest is to get my company partner with you to deliver the good work you are doing.
How can i get audience with you?
Richard