Johannesburg - South Africa – The Machine Learning Health Care Summit 2022 kicks off at the Hilton Hotel in Johannesburg today with the focus of the conference focusing on the transformation of the healthcare industry in Africa through Artificial Intelligence. AI is increasing efficiencies in drug discovery, radiology, patient risk identification, primary healthcare, diagnosis and treatment.

Acclaimed local publicist and social entrepreneur who survived a life-threatening cancer, Vanessa Perumal who traded her vocal cords to save her life in just two years, has gone from losing her voice to a rare cancer finding it once more as a speaker. She will address the summit hosted by Machine Learning Africa with a host of leading experts from across the health care industry.

As an ambassador of Afya Rekod, an African-developed-tech platform disrupting how data driven technology allows the world’s first mobility of data empowers patients and the entire health care ecosystem. Perumal together with co-founder of Afya Rekod, Irene Kiwia will demonstrate how the platform works when they speak at the AI in Health Care Summit 2022 to be held today (27 October 2022) at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton.

First launched in Kenya and now in South Africa, AfyaRekod is a patient-driven platform for health record management, built to assist users with better healthcare services. The platform allows organisations, health providers, and medical experts to interact and connect with patients, even remotely, in real-time while providing tools to store, manage and analyse health records, as well as manage hospitals and facilities.

Managing Director of JT Comms, AfyaRekod Ambassador Vanessa Perumal knows only too well the importance of having access to real-time info following the diagnosis of a rare cancer, a full laryngectomee and subsequent medical care. “AfyaRekod is a game changer and has given me a voice in my own medical care,” she says

“I have a long list of operations, medical interventions and prescriptions to my name, now I am safe in the knowledge that wherever I am, whatever medical practitioner is treating me, here or internationally, I have complete access to my medical information and no one has to hunt down my medical records,” Perumal explains.

AI is changing the world, and healthcare is no different. With a full programme of speakers the AI in Health Care Summit looks at the future of health care and focuses on the transformation of the healthcare industry in Africa through Artificial Intelligence: AI is increasing efficiencies in drug discovery, radiology, patient risk identification, primary healthcare, diagnosis and treatment. Perumal and Kiwia’s presentation is a conversation into the importance of access to accurate, real time health care information across borders and medical facilities and the potentialities of AfyaRekod.

“We have identified the capture and storage of accurate data across every possible level of infrastructure as a core problem. The lack of medical records and static data leads to poor health management” states Irene Kiwia co-founder of AfyaRekod.

“Bringing real time access to data was the solution. Our tool allows patients to create a portal with all their health data and most importantly gives patients sovereign rights of ownership of their data. It’s their right to have access to it. This system can improve the standard of living and drastically reduce mortality rates, as already seen in reports,” explains Kiwia.

"Machine Learning Africa provides insight into emerging machine learning technologies and their inevitable impact in transforming Africa. Provides a platform where innovators, technology vendors, end users and enthusiasts discuss latest innovations and technologies that transform businesses and the broader society and centralising an ecosystem of enablers allows for direct connection" says Founder Zenzele Ndolovu of Machine Learning Africa.

To follow Machine Learning Africa and keep updated on the important work they initiate around AI go to their website on www.machinelearningafrica.com

To connect with Afya Rekod go to www.afyarekod.com

For media interviews or any additional info please contact media@jtcomms.co.za or call 011 788 7632 or 083 954 6133

Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of AfyaRekod