The Cardiopad, developed by Cameroonian engineer Arthur Zang, is expected to bring high-quality cardiac care to remote rural communities (E.HARRIS/WIPO)

At the end of 2019, the Cameroonian Ministry of Health received 78 Cardiopads from Addax Petroleum company. Developed by a young Cameroonian, Cardiopad has revolutionized treatment of heart diseases by enabling remote consultations.

Arthur Zang, the creator of Cardiopad, is used to laurels and international distinctions. He is the winner of the prestigious Rolex Prize in the "applied technology" category at the Royal Society in London, Britain, in 2014, and the engineering innovation award in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2016. He is at the top of the ranking of Afrique.times, a website specializing in the evaluation and monitoring of innovative knowledge, which lists the 10 Africans or people of African descent that have made extraordinary inventions. Finally, the Cameroonian entrepreneur is listed by the Forbes magazine among "the 10 persons who will build the Africa of tomorrow."

Accidental entrepreneur

However, Zang did not intend to embark on entrepreneurship. Originally an engineer, he wanted to do research, "I switched out of necessity," he said.

It was in 2009, when Zang was 22 years old and studying computer engineering in Yaoundé, that the idea of ​​Cardiopad originated in his mind. Working as an intern in the cardiology department of Professor Samuel Kingue, Zang was surprised to see the use of paper electrocardiogram even in the 21th century. "The professor also revealed to me the magnitude of the problem linked to cardiovascular diseases in developing countries and the lack of cardiologists," said Zang, adding, "He asked me to imagine a tool to better follow patients." That's when the seed of Zang's entrepreneurial future was planted.

A hard worker, Zang used all the means at his disposal to bring his project to fruition. He began by receiving training in electronics, and then adapting a system for use on a tablet based on in-depth knowledge. He attended for one year massive open online courses (MOOCs), given free of charge by the Indian Institute of Technology.

In order to get financing and acquire the materials essential for the creation of his tablet, the budding entrepreneur, who had limited means, asked his nurse mother to request a loan from the bank. He also submitted an electronic diagram of his work to Microsoft as part of the Imagine Cup, an international competition he discovered online. He made a strong impression, and, thanks to the materials sent by the American company, the young inventor was able to develop a small operating system for his tablet, as well as the programs for collecting and processing medical data. The bank loan then enabled him to collect the electronic components necessary for the construction of his prototype.

To continue his work, Zang created a video to present his Cardiopad. Posted on social networks, the video made a buzz with 30,000 views in a weekend and coverage by the press, which did not fail to attract the attention of Cameroonian President Paul Biya. The government then gave him a grant of $45,000 to manufacture the first devices. "I then went to China to build the first 30," revealed Zang.

The young entrepreneur also presented his project to the Rolex Foundation, thanks to which he won a prize of 50,000 Swiss francs, as well as support which enabled him to move up a gear.

"I was able to start the manufacturing of 100 Cardiopads, 10 for each province of Cameroon. [This has] significantly improved the management of heart disease in the country," he said.

Follow your heart

Cameroon, with a population of 25 million, has less than 60 cardiologists and, to make matters worse, most of them are located in the main cities of Douala and Yaoundé. Cardiovascular care is therefore practically non-existent in rural areas. This serious shortage of medical personnel forces patients suffering from heart disease to generally travel long distances to undergo examination and consult cardiologists. Some patients must make an appointment months in advance, resulting in inexorable worsening of their condition. "It's very difficult to see a doctor. My family experienced this problem, including my uncle, who died from a stroke," said Zang.

His invention is intended to be the answer to these problems: an easily transportable, autonomous tablet which aims to reduce mortality from cardiovascular diseases and save African patients living in remote areas.

The Cameroonian entrepreneur's touchpad is for medical use only and allows you to perform a cardiovascular examination anywhere in a few minutes. To do this, simply place a series of wireless electrodes on the patient's chest, then the device, which generates a digitized ECG, evaluates the electrical conduction system of the heart, measures the rhythm and regularity of the heartbeat and determines the size and position of the ventricles while identifying possible lesions. The data is transmitted via the mobile telephone network to a cardiologist who downloads this information to another Cardiopad. He or she analyzes the data and then writes his or her diagnosis and prescription.

According to its inventor, the reliability of the device reaches 97.5 percent. He added that "the mobile network is very extensive in Africa where everyone has a mobile phone. The files generated by the Cardiopad are not heavy, so they can easily be transmitted, even with a low bit rate connection."

In the absence of a reliable electricity network, many remote regions of Cameroon do not have access to sophisticated medical equipment. The Cardiopad is therefore ideally suited as its battery lasts for more than seven hours, according to its designer.

Since its creation in 2014, the Cardiopad has established itself as an essential device in the world of medicine. But the entrepreneur does not intend to stop there:

"With my company Himore Medical, I am already working on the future by taking an interest in what could allow better monitoring of, for example, pregnant women. But, above all, I would like other African entrepreneurs to follow me. Innovation can and will come more and more from Africa! My advice to young Africans who want to make a difference: don't be conventional. And above all, do not be afraid of the gaze of others; it is normal that you will be afraid if you want to bring a change," he concluded.

(Comments to zanjifang@chinafrica.cn)