On September 8, 2020, as Brett Lyndall Singh walked out of the Great Hall of the People in China's capital Beijing, he was overwhelmed with emotion. The 27-year-old South African doctor had just attended a national meeting held to honor exemplary role models, including the renowned respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan, in the country's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The young man was praised for his volunteer work during the health crisis in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Yet, when he first set foot in China 10 years ago to study medicine, he hardly expected the unusual fate that inseparably links him to the country.

At the forefront

Difficulties motivate Singh to be more determined and work harder, rather than discouraging him. Last year, at the height of the health crisis in China, Singh chose to join the local anti-epidemic battle instead of returning home. He worked hand-in-hand with a special anti-pandemic task force team at Wenzhou Medical University (WMU) Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital in Zhejiang as a volunteer and published epidemiological data and conducted online medical consultations for those under travel restrictions during the lockdown.

At the same time, he shot a series of videos which he posted on social networks to spread the message of care and psychological support. He is the ambassador of Brand South Africa, an official marketing agency of South Africa, and a guest of Informal Talks, a talk show program of China. With more than 200,000 followers across all social media platforms, he presented China's experience in fighting the epidemic to the rest of the world.

In addition, his company AOM Group, which he founded while still at college, donated more than 500,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to the most affected areas in South Africa and are completing their next project of 100,000 Rapid Antibody Test Kits, valued at more than $1.5 million to South African Research, in collaboration with the China Foundation Forum, Blazing Youth Community, a nongovernmental volunteer group in Wenzhou, and Touch Road International, a leading Chinese investment company based in Shanghai.

AOM Group's MedTech subsidiary recently received their SAHPRA license to distribute medical devices and with their partners achieved a medical breakthrough in COVID-19 point-of-care testing. Their rapid antigen test costs only 10 percent of the price of a PCR test and can identify a positive case in less than 15 minutes.

For his contributions to the fight against the pandemic, Singh was awarded as a representative of health professionals involved in China-Africa health cooperation by the Chinese Government at the grand meeting in September last year. Coincidentally, in the same month, he won the Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 award at the Overseas Talent Entrepreneurship Conference in Beijing. He was also the finalist of the World Young Scientist Summit UN 75th Year Anniversary Startup World Cup, among many other accomplishments.

Dream comes true

Born in 1993 in Howick, South Africa, Singh set out to make a difference and positively impact the health sector as a young boy. At a young age, he watched his grandmother succumb to a heart attack when he didn't know how to perform CPR. "I think that cemented the idea of me becoming a doctor," he said. A dream he was able to realize by pursuing his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at WMU.

Like most foreign students, the Chinese language was the first challenge that he had to overcome. He can now speak like the locals. His Chinese name is Xin Chengle, which means if you work hard and efficiently, you will be successful, and receive everlasting joy! With China being a very competitive environment, he quickly adapted.

The hard work paid off in 2017 when he graduated with honors and received a Zhejiang provincial scholarship for his master's degree in Pediatrics at WMU from 2017 to 2020. His choice of the thesis topic - malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa - was not accidental.

A study conducted by a WHO research team among malnourished children in Malawi in 2016 sparked Singh's interest. From then on, he became aware of the significance of combating this widespread problem. According to a 2019 UNICEF survey, sub-Saharan Africa has 70 percent of the world's total pediatric malnutrition. One in four children are malnourished. "Every child deserves the opportunity to live their best life. I want to do everything I can to let every African child be nourished," said Singh, who was quick to take action by founding his own company. This opened a new chapter in his professional life.

Innovation-driven

He has been able to build a team of 26 African graduates from 15 African countries. With the help of the China Africa Bridge, China Africa Innovation Base and many other institutions, they have created a vast network of African life science professionals, all of whom have graduated from Chinese institutions and are working in various African countries. His vision is "transforming life science through R&D on the continent." He believes in equipping young African scientists with the tools they need to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment.

In search of an innovative anti-malnutrition solution, Singh and his team embarked on the Alpha & Omega Nutrition project at the WMU National Laboratory. In December 2019, their long march of R&D resulted in a patent-pending product, A&O NutriPowder, a comprehensive nutrient formula for children. To optimize the absorption of ingested protein, they developed a substance that can promote intestinal development. According to the results of their research, this substance can be extracted from molasses in the sugar process, in which Africa is abundant, thus greatly reducing production costs. To improve follow-up service, the team is developing a mobile application and a wearable device to monitor the nutrition of the children who use their products.

Their marketing strategy adopts a hybrid B2G2C model. Orders are placed directly by governments, NGOs, and other institutions before being distributed to the desired population. Underprivileged families can get state subsidies. They pitched their research at the round table conference for healthcare leaders during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in 2018, and now are looking for further cooperation opportunities with the Southern African Development Community.

This China-Africa medical cooperation project is crucial to improving children's health in Africa, promoting coordinated socioeconomic development, and advancing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, said Cai Xiaohong, Singh's thesis supervisor.

Singh's AOM Group believes that China is a great place to start and they also hope to further develop in Africa. "China has a great entrepreneurial spirit; in most cities, there is a great buzz to be the next global innovator, entrepreneur or the next unicorn," Singh said, with great ambition. 

(Print Edition Title: A Journey To Save Life）

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