MaiSoin’s mission is to provide each patient with an easy and pleasant digital health journey. The Ivorian social enterprise offers a web and mobile platform that simplifies contact between patients and health professionals while collecting data to improve decision-making and the effectiveness of public health interventions. Being part of the NHA program was an opportunity for the startup to be in contact with professionals who are passionate about health issues and can help them achieve their goals.
Please introduce yourself
My name is Dédé Zeinabou Cissé, co-founder and CEO of MaiSoin. I am a specialist in public health, health unit management and health policy.
What is the story behind your startup?
My partner, Mario Romero, and I have a combined 15 years of experience working with international NGOs in implementing community-based public health projects. We met while working in Chad on the world’s largest active epidemiological surveillance program for Guinea worm eradication.
From our different experiences, we learned that often small changes can positively influence access to health care for populations. Thus, we have become passionate about concrete and modern solutions that allow better access to health care for the population.
Who are your target customers ?
Today, to consult a health professional in Abidjan, it is common to wait two hours in the waiting room of a private clinic. In public institutions, the wait is even longer. This is due to the fact that the majority of health facilities in the city refuse to give patients specific appointments. The medical secretaries simply tell the patients the time slot during which the healthcare professional is present at the clinic.
The patient comes to the clinic and consultations are held in order of arrival. The existing system creates long waits and discourages many people from attending health centers. With MaiSoin, we target people who need to see a healthcare professional in Abidjan without having to waste time in a waiting room.
What are your challenges?
Currently our biggest challenge is to increase the awareness of our existing solutions so that people who need our services know that we exist.
What is your vision for your startup? What does success look like?
We consider ourselves successful if we can increase the number of people accessing the preventive health services they need: whether at home, online or in the clinic. Our vision is to reduce existing barriers to improve access to health for populations.
Why did you apply for NHA? Why NHA and not another accelerator?
Next Health Accelerator presented itself to us as an interesting opportunity to be in contact with professionals who are passionate about the same things we are and want to help us achieve our goals. So it was an easy decision for us.
What were your expectations, and how was your experience with the program so far?
Having participated in other programs, we were certain that we wanted to join an acceleration program that adapts to the needs of the startups that participate and, above all, that has flexibility in terms of interactions and interventions.
Have you met someone who inspires you since participating in NHA?
The program was punctuated by several great meetings, both with founders of other startups and with the NHA team.
What significant progress have you made in your business since joining NHA?
Joining the NHA program allowed us to refine our market research and reorient our strategy. We were also able to add a brand new service to our offer.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I would like to see anyone in need of medical attention have access to the quality care they need immediately, and that never again does a woman die in childbirth due to lack of care or inadequate management, leaving behind an orphaned baby.
