Episode 5 | Explores the Exciting Developments Emerging in Digital Innovation.

While Silicon Valley has long been synonymous with technological advancements, this episode explores the exciting developments emerging in digital innovation outside the confines of Silicon Valley in digital health.

 This episode discusses the factors driving the growth of these regions, such as diverse perspectives and supportive ecosystems. The episode highlights factors contributing to the rise of digital health innovation outside Silicon Valley, the unique challenges and opportunities faced by these non-Silicon Valley regions as well as emerging trends and predictions for the future of digital health innovation outside Silicon Valley.

 To share his experiences, our guest for this Episode is Brian Omwenga. With over 15 years of experience in communication and information technology design and product management, Brian is currently the team lead at the Tech Innovators Network (Ltd) (3 years) that has developed an open-integrated-collaborative platform styled as the “Digital Innovation/Business Hub” (in conjunction with the Kenya Private Sector

Alliance KEPSA). As a Software & Systems Engineer specializing in designing large-scale projects, he has previously worked at PwC, Microsoft, and Nokia Research. He was the lead ICT Enterprise Architect for the award-winning Kenya Health Sector Enterprise Architecture and the Kenya Government Wide ICT Enterprise Architecture. 

He has actively participated within the local ICT sector, such as being the Technical Committee Chair of the Software, Systems Engineering, ITSM (IT Service Management) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS); He was also the Technical Committee Chair of the Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship Pillar of the Kenya Digital Economy Blueprint Taskforce.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

 In this episode, we delve into the intersection of digital activism and data privacy in health mobile applications. We address the growing importance of safeguarding personal health data in an era of increasing digitalization. We talk about the need to protect personal information in the digital health landscape where individuals often share sensitive and personal data, including health records, biometric information, and lifestyle choices.

By discussing this intersection, we highlight ways we can raise awareness about the potential risks associated with data breaches, unauthorized access, or misuse of personal health information, and how data activism can prompt discussions about the ethical implications of data collection, storage, and usage in digital health.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

The imagery of Kenya as the Silicon Savannah has led to the establishment of new norms in which developers consciously or unconsciously adopt standards and practices from Silicon Valley. Challenging these norms is important because it challenges the logic that people who finance the development of health apps own all the data that they collect leading to migration of health data so that it can be added into bigger and bigger data sets, is crucial to the development of mHealth.

This component of the #NoAppForThis project includes an experimental incubator for start-up app designers and developers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Six health app designers (trainees) will be supported to build health apps that explore ways in which users can be better empowered.

This podcast is intended to introduce this component of the project and discuss why it was set up as an incubator. It also outlines what we hope to learn and broadly achieve.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

NoAppForThis! The Trailer

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Episode 3 | Do the apps we want to build exist?

In today’s episode, Roy Waswa hosts Terry Gichuhi, Joy Kwamboka, and Kiprotich Kimutai, all from the experimental incubator, to talk about whether the apps they are building exist. The discussion will be on the apps they are developing within an experimental incubator, highlighting their evolution over time. The conversation will underscore their involvement in the ideation phase and research process, emphasizing their integral role in shaping the app concepts from their inception in comparison to the traditional development process, where developers often enter the project at a later stage.

The discussion further explores the market feasibility of their apps, assessing their potential to meet real-world needs and demands. It also delves into the vital aspect of financial sustainability, contemplating how these innovative apps can not only gain traction but also maintain viability in the long run. This comprehensive discussion provides valuable insights into the unique characteristics of app development within an experimental incubator, emphasizing the importance of early developer involvement, market viability, and financial sustainability in driving their success.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Episode 2 |Rethinking User Empowerment and Data Rights in Health Apps. 

Health apps have become increasingly popular and are often used to track various aspects of personal health, from physical activity and sleep patterns to monitoring chronic conditions and medication reminders. 

However, the collection and use of personal health data by these apps raise concerns about user empowerment and data rights. It is crucial for individuals to understand what data is being collected, how it is being used, and who has access to it. 

Users should have the right to own and control their health data, including the ability to easily access, modify and delete it. It is also important for app developers to be transparent about their data practices and adopt robust security measures to protect personal health data from unauthorised access or breaches.

In today’s episode, Terry Gichuhi hosts Daniel Kitheka, one of the developers in the experimental incubator. They discuss the health app solution Daniel is working on. 

The discussion covers several key aspects of the solution, including the inspiration behind the idea, the functionality of the app, potential risks associated with user empowerment and data rights, and development practices employed by app developers to mitigate the risks. 

"For more details on the Home- and Community-Based Care framework in Kenya, please check out:  http://guidelines.health.go.ke:8000/media/home_and_community_based_care_in_kenya.pdf

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Open Institute | "Balancing Novelty, Viability, and Feasibility in Health App Development"

"The process of developing an app can be long and complex, involving many stages including ideation and execution. In the ideation phase, the focus is on generating and refining ideas for the apps, while in the execution phase, the focus shifts to the building and launching of the app.

 In this first episode, 3 of the designers, Roy Waswa and Kiprotich Kimutai, led by Terry Gichuhi, discuss their ideation process - from how they come up with their ideas to how they experiment on ones they think are viable/feasible (or both) and those that are not.

They also discuss how they have been balancing between novelty, viability/feasibility, and relevance during the ideation phase. In this episode they will also address the following: What have been the trade-offs so far between novelty and feasibility/viability in their designs and what has informed it? We also ask them, if there were no restrictions in terms of resources and expertise, what would they do with their designs in creating an MVP?"

The NoAppForThis podcast is part of a project by Wellcome Trust, implemented across 3 countries (Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa) by the Open Institute, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) working in collaboration with the of University of Warwick, in the UK University of Nairobi, and University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.