Speetar

Providing telehealth accessibility for conflict-affected communities.

Past and Current Partners

UNDP Libya, Harvard Social Innovation and Change Initiative, Harvard Innovation Labs / Centre for Public Leadership, MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund, Seedstars, MIT Legatum Center, Echoing Green, Aspen Institute, UNDP Chief Digital Office, Libyana, STREAM accelerator

Active Countries
Libya, Jordan, Tunisia
Thematic area(s)
Health, Crisis
Technology
White Label
Organisation Name
Speetar
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The Problem

The target problem that Speetar aims to solve is the collapsing of the healthcare system in countries and areas that are conflict zones. In 2021, 50% of Libyan households (3.5M people) do not have access to health care services (2021 UN Humanitarian Needs Review). Around 1/4 of public healthcare facilities are closed, with under-investment and conflict exacerbating severe staff shortages. Libya’s health crisis does not affect everyone equally. Women and girls are more likely to face obstacles in health care access due to lacking documentation or a male companion (both are required by Libyan public health) (UN Women 2020). In this sense, Speetar aims to creating healthcare access and equity as a critical foundation to ensuring justice, opportunity, and rights. Lack of healthcare access shapes the daily realities of the two billion people globally who live in conflict zones (e.g., Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, CAR).

The Solution

Speetar is a telehealth provider that offers accessible, affordable quality healthcare in the adverse conditions of conflict-affected communities.

How it works?

  • Step 1A: Enter into strategic partnership(s) with local healthcare providers, telecommunication providers, or other community organizations / social businesses to organically grow a sustainable venture.OR Step 1B: Work with governments / grant-giving organizations to mobilize financial resources for investments in the set-up of digital health dots and/or provision of free/subsidized healthcare to vulnerable target populations and/or dedicated digital health services to increase capacity, quality, and accessibility of healthcare services provided by governmental and non-governmental care providing organizations and agencies.
  • Step 2 (new market): Onboard healthcare providers domestically.
  • Step 3: Engage the target population online (targeted promotion/phone lists/etc.) and offline (trusted health messengers, local leaders/care providers).
  • Step 4: Access to digital healthcare ecosystem (telemedicine, Electronic Medical Record, healthcare education, etc.) is provided to the target population
Digital X Solution Speetar

Bridging the digital divide

Speetar pursues the closing of the divide by integrating low connectivity features and offline features. Through its Health Dots, Speetar provides community access points for entirely disconnected, hard-to-reach populations, that provide both digital community access to connect with healthcare providers and digital education and training to increase digital literacy.

Impact and highlights

  • Speetar powered Libya’s CDC and MoH’s COVID-19 triage and information center, serving 1.8+M beneficiaries.
  • Speetar’s health educational materials on social media reached over 3.2M people between Q4/2021 and Q1/2022, recording over 350k engagements.

Plans for expansion

"Strategic partnership with the Hagarla Institute and UNDP Somalia. Early-stage expansion plans (Sudan). Strategic partnership with Rowad Foundation and Coding Academy (Yemen). Strategic partnership with Danjuma Adda, CEO of CFID Taraba and Chagro-Care Trus, a local healthcare provider focused on providing healthcare to hepatitis patients (Nigeria). "