… How a Togolese Doctor is Bringing Lifesaving Care to the Most Remote Villages
BY NATHAN GUMA recently in New York
In Togo’s coastal town of Aneho, some 45.7 kilometres from Lomé, the country’s capital city, one young medical doctor is waging a quiet war against diabetes – an invisible killer that has been slowly claiming lives in the country’s rural areas.
For Haniifah Ouro-Nile, stationed at the Centre Hospitalier Prefectoral d’Aneho, where she is head of medical emergency services, the fight against diabetes is personal.
“My journey into medicine began with a deep desire to serve my community,” she says. “Early on, I witnessed many preventable health challenges affecting families, particularly those related to chronic diseases. Diabetes stood out because of its growing prevalence and the heavy burden it places on individuals and healthcare systems, especially in underserved rural areas.”
Now, she is building an innovation, a phone-run application to empower people living with diabetes by providing accessible, personalised and easy-to-use tools for daily management.
This year, her dedication earned her significant recognition, as she was selected for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship, run by the US Department of State, where she was placed under the Public Management Track at Syracuse University, in the state of New York.
She says the disease’s continual prevalence in rural areas motivated her to specialise her efforts towards diabetes care and prevention, aiming to create solutions that are accessible, culturally appropriate, and impactful.
Haniifah herself has been actively involved in community work for six years within various non-profit organisations dedicated to the prevention of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and infectious diseases.
Diabetes prevalence in Togo
Diabetes in Togo is an increasing public health concern, with prevalence rates rising both in urban and rural areas, affecting about 4-6% of the population nationally.
While urban centres see higher diagnosed cases due to better healthcare access, in rural areas cases are often underdiagnosed due to limited awareness and healthcare provision, leading to more complications.
Many people in rural settings lack awareness about diabetes symptoms and management, leading to complications that could be prevented with early intervention.
“This disparity highlights the urgent need for tailored education and healthcare delivery innovations in these underserved areas. So my first target are the population of Aneho and Lome,” she says.
How the innovation works
Ouro-Nile says the app she is developing will offer educational content and personalised tips adapted to local diets and lifestyles and many other features with intuitive interfaces.
“Given the widespread use of mobile phones, even in rural Togo, technology offers a powerful channel to overcome barriers of distance, healthcare workforce shortages, and limited patient education,” she says.
“By leveraging digital tools, we can bring continuous support directly to users’ hands, enhancing adherence to treatment and promoting healthier behaviours.”
She aims for the app to contribute to a strengthened healthcare system that integrates technology with community-based care, ultimately reducing the burden of diabetes and improving quality of life across Togo’s rural and urban populations.
Challenges and opportunities
She says implementing this innovation will require overcoming challenges such as limited internet connectivity, varying levels of digital literacy, and ensuring the cultural relevance of content.
“To address these, we plan to design the app for low-bandwidth environments, incorporate offline functionalities, and use simple, intuitive interfaces,” she says.
“Collaborating closely with local healthcare providers and community leaders will help tailor the app’s features and educational messages to fit cultural contexts. We will also invest in training and awareness campaigns to build trust and encourage adoption.”
She says digitalisation is key to fighting disease in her area and on the continent at large.
“I envision empowered patients who take control of their health, leading to fewer complications and hospitalisations,” Ouro-Nile says.
“Over the next decade, I hope this work will significantly improve diabetes outcomes in my community by increasing awareness, enabling early diagnosis, and supporting better disease management,” she says.
