Born in the Brong Ahafo Region but raised in Accra, Ghana, Cobby Amoah developed an interest in healthcare and technology at an early age and has since honed his interest in both fields.
In the United States, he runs a company called Obaa, whose goal is to use technology to make healthcare services accessible to all. Currently, the company has a product called Prime, which uses phones and Google Glass technology to improve intra-practice communication and also allow remote primary care doctors to consult with specialists in long distances.
In Ghana, Cobby chairs the board of Peach Health, which is his mobile electronic medical records system. The goal of the company is to make all medical records, lab requests and prescriptions electronic. He also hopes to build a system capable of diagnosing diseases and making recommendations with little human assistance.
Cobby attended Presec – Legon before leaving for the United States to study pre-medicine and economics. Since then, he has been committed to building his dreams and inspiring other young people.
In his junior year of college, he started a project to provide electronic health records systems to rural facilities to enable them to communicate with urban health care centers. His project currently gets funding from top organizations like the Kathryn Davis Foundation, Harambe-Pfizer, and the Clinton Foundation.
Cobby started out with only an idea, which today, has burgeoned and birthed many products which are available to hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories across Ghana. The platform has evolved into a mobile electronic medical records system for both urban and rural facilities and made it possible for doctors and nurses to collect health information, request lab tests and prescribe drugs from a single app. It also improves the workflow of hospitals and streamlines the care process.
The techpreneur has a big vision, to roll out a consumer version of the product that allows patients to access their lab results on their phones and even talk to their doctors remotely.
Cobby’s entrepreneurial journey has been quite successful, but not without challenges.
“As a first-time CEO, every day is a challenge and a learning experience at the same time. Some of the challenges range from simple things like scheduling calls across different time zones to managing more complex legal, financial and HR problems. The most important aspect has been to set a tone and culture that reflects my goals and aspirations for the business. My approach has been to read a lot and learn from seasoned entrepreneurs to be a better chief executive. I don’t think I’m there yet.” He tells threesixtygh.com
He is also thankful for the opportunities and mentorship that has helped him get to his current height.
“I am a product of the mentoring and guidance from a good number of people including our board, mentors, and investors. Obviously, my parents as well, for supporting me to step into the unknown and highly unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.”
The young leader sees and hopes to build an amazing future for health in Africa. In his interview with threesixtygh.com, he explains,
“In the future, computers will be responsible for diagnosing a lot of diseases and making the appropriate prescription. A combination of precision medicine (an approach to disease prevention and treatment that takes into account differences in people’s genes, environments, and lifestyles) and sophisticated artificial intelligence will make it possible for us to diagnose quickly genetic and chronic diseases and even predict disease outbreaks before they happen.
A bit of it will be like the movie Elysium. Computers can scan for cancer cells and non-invasively destroy them. A sick citizen can be detected in the system and a robotic medical crew dispatched to treat her. In Elysium, this technology was only available to the rich but I think it will be accessible to all – or, at least, I hope it will be. It is an exciting future, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
For his devotion and passion for technology and health, the change agent has received several awards and prizes, like the Kathryn Davis Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Global Startup Workshop Prize, Associate of the Harambe Entrepreneurs Alliance, Pfizer – Harambe mHealth Fellowship, Thiel Foundation Summit pitch winner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology GFSA, Dell Associate Award for Service and Leadership
For other Career professionals in Africa, click the links below
Nadja Bellan-White. The Career Woman, Amazing Mother and CEO of Ogilvy, Africa’s Largest Agency Network.
Sizakele Petunia Mzimela, The Power Woman Leading Change in the Aviation Industry.
Caroline Esinam Adzogble – The 24 Year Old, Leading an Education and Technology Revolution in Africa.
