Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2023 winners:

Anatoli Kirigwajjo, YUNGA and

Edmund Wessels, FlexiGyn

For the first time, two innovators win the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, for technologies in affordable security and women's health.

Electrical engineer Anatoli Kirigwajjo wins with community ‘panic button’ inspired by traditional African warning drums and biomedical engineer Edmund Wessels selected for increasing access to reproductive healthcare for women in remote areas, with portable device for gynaecology.

YUNGA

Kirigwajjo wins with YUNGA, a local digital security network that connects neighbours to each other and police within a 20 kilometre radius through a physical device, smartphone app or SMS service, providing security at low cost.

Nearly 1,000 households in 30 communities across central Uganda are already on the YUNGA network, which has successfully prevented around 130 break-ins and related crimes. The team is aiming to connect 32,000 households across Uganda in the next two years.

FlexiGyn

Wessels wins with FlexiGyn, a battery-powered, portable handheld device that enables gynaecologists to diagnose and treat women’s uterine problems without anaesthetic or expensive equipment. It aims to increase women’s access to reproductive healthcare, particularly in remote areas.

Typical hysteroscopy systems are rigid, leading to high levels of patient discomfort, requiring bulky additional equipment for visualisation. The innovative FlexiGyn features a flexible scope with built-in light and camera, offering a more comfortable and efficient experience for both patients and healthcare providers.

Read the full press release

Watch the final here

“The prize money will allow us to add more than 1,000 households to the YUNGA network, with a focus on women-led homes, which are more vulnerable to crime in low-resource settings. This is an invaluable opportunity in our efforts to scale up,”

Anatoli Kirigwajjo, YUNGA

Contact Anatoli Kirigwajjo

Download Anatoli's pitchdeck

“Winning the Africa Prize enhances our purpose to make women’s healthcare convenient and accessible. The more visibility we get, the more likely others will start to innovate in this space too, solving problems for the people who need it most.”

Edmund Wessels, FlexiGyn

Contact Edmund Wessels

Download Edmund's pitchdeck

“Home security is an every day issue for so many people across Africa – we see huge potential for Anatoli’s innovation to transform lives and empower communities to secure their homes, so we are delighted to award YUNGA the Africa Prize. We believe Edmund’s innovation has the potential to help so many women who struggle to access reproductive healthcare, and are very pleased to award FlexiGyn the Africa Prize as well. We look forward to seeing the impact of both innovations in Africa in the coming years.”

Africa Prize judge Rebecca Enonchong FREng

Applying for the Africa Prize

If you are interested in applying for the Africa Prize, full details on applications are now available for the next cycle.

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