Anemiapp

The first genetic disease in the world, Sickle Cell Disease is characterised as a rare disease or one that people are unaware of. The DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] is the 3rd country in the world and the 2nd in Africa to bear the socio-economic burden of this disease.
In the DRC the fight against this disease is characterised by: the difficulty of obtaining precise figures; the absence of large-scale action undertaken by the State; the high cost of care ($1,000 to $2,000/disease/year); the lack of trained health personnel and infrastructures lacking the specificities of sickle cell disease (transfusion related, nutritional, surgical and orthopaedic needs, etc.); and a population that is often poorly informed.
Anemiapp therefore aims to solve the problem of caring for sickle cell patients in the city of Kinshasa.

Last updated in September 2023

This application is innovative because it allows a patient with sickle cell disease living in Kinshasa to use their phone to search for places where they can find their treatments without having to travel (blood bank, medicines, etc.) as well as a doctor near to where they live. A pregnant woman with sickle cell disease, a population at risk, 20 to 30% of them dying before or during childbirth, can find a specialist gynaecologist to ensure they are well supported. Young people in Kinshasa can use the Anemiapp application to find out where to get tested.
For this purpose, the Anemiapp application offers the following services:

Identification and geolocation of patients with sickle cell disease to have statistics on the evolution of the disease;
Follow-up of sickle cell disease patients by doctors with the possibility of tele-advice;
Reminder about the health rules to be observed to avoid attacks, which are the main causes of death for sickle cell patients;
Information on the consultation times of the health centres and doctors registered in the application;
Information on the availability of treatments;
Information on locations and opening times of screening and electrophoresis testing centres;
Creation of dialogue and exchange groups (social network);
Ability to view and publish all events related to sickle cell disease;
Possibility to subscribe to a voluntary blood donation to help a sickle cell patient.

Anemiapp is therefore intended for:

Sickle cell patients of age to use a phone or their parents or guardians and friends;
Those who wish to do the electrophoresis test;
Health centres and pharmacies approved to supply medicines;
People with anaemia requiring a blood transfusion;
Health care professionals;
All those interested in sickle cell disease.

This application brings patients in Kinshasa suffering from sickle cell disease closer to their caregivers in order to monitor their health. It facilitates the provision of treatment and access to health care. Anemiapp is also intended for the therapeutic education of sickle cell disease by mobile phones, with the patient receiving notifications on health advice and how to avoid attacks.

Today, the application is being redesigned to simplify the User’s Experience; although the project is currently on pause during this redesigning phase, the Ministry of Health continues to reassure support for the project.