How AI is Transforming Healthcare in Africa

Paula: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to another episode of Chatting with the Experts, the show where I speak with incredible women from Africa, from the Caribbean, and in the diaspora. These women are successful business women, successful professional women, and they share my mission, which is to educate women all over the world, to encourage women and to empower women globally. The title of today’s episode is Build to Rise, and my guest who will join me shortly is a healthcare innovator who brings wellness, medication safety, and digital health to improve outcomes across Africa and in the diaspora. She’s a pharmacist entrepreneur, and as I said, she’s a [00:01:00] wellness expert and she’s also an AI healthcare innovator. She is the founder of NaturEllie and PharmaEllie, where she blends prevention, digital health, and purpose-driven leadership, to improve healthcare outcomes across Africa and the diaspora. And with that, I welcome Annouchka Ondias-Kouamé also known as Dr. Okay, to the show. Welcome Dr. Annouchka to the show.
Annouchka: Thank you.
Paula: Thank you so much for saying yes. I appreciate you taking time to come and educate us on so many things. Your bio is an is impressive. You are an pharmacist and entrepreneur. You’re an [00:02:00] wellness expert, and you’re an AI healthcare innovator. Wow. How did you go from pharmacy to being an innovator?
Annouchka: First of all, you know, I came to the United States’ as an international student in 1996. So I went to high school here in New York. So I went to school to study pharmacy. So I went to pharmacy school in New York where I graduating in from St. John’s University. So, after graduation I moved to Maryland and I started working as a pharmacist. So I have a strong clinical pharmacy background. I worked for different hospitals. I expanded my traditional practice to build purpose-driven health and wellness businesses across Africa, specifically in Gabon where I have a health and wellness center where I [00:03:00] specialize in vitamins supplement. And also in Ivory Coast, I have a health and wellness center there. So I transitioned from pharmacists to entrepreneurship because God gave me a vision. God gave me a vision to impact. He gave me a purpose. So I wanted to be committed to my purpose and impact people positively for people to feel better, to live in good health. There’s also a story behind my health and wellness center, because it’s been 14 years now. I’m a cancer survivor.
Paula: Wow.
Annouchka: Yes. So, during 14 years ago during my treatment, I met a lady who told me to take vitamin C every day. So that’s how I started doing research on vitamins. And I found that vitamin can protect you from [00:04:00] getting cancer. That’s how NaturEllie was born.
Paula: So you’re cancer survivor?
Annouchka: Yeah. 14 years now.
Paula: 14 years. I am celebrating with you.
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: And through that experience?
Annouchka: Experience, yes.
Paula: NaturEllie was born.
Annouchka: Born, yes.
Paula: Okay. So it sounds to me like NaturEllie is less pharmaceutical and more like using natural.
Annouchka: Yeah, because I wanted to, you know, and also, you know, I wanted to transition to entrepreneurship because I didn’t want my nine to five to leverage me. I wanted to leverage my nine to five. I wanted to turn my experience, my skill to make impact and make profit.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: Because I believe that we are born. I believe that God gave us the power. It’s in the Bible. He gave us the power to get wealth.
Paula: Yes.
Annouchka: I believe that all of us should be millionaires.
Paula: I agree.
Annouchka: All of us, you [00:05:00] know, we have to be audacious to make an impact, to get out of our comfort zone. That’s why I decided to transition from pharmacist to entrepreneur.
Paula: Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. So that’s why I mean your unfortunate illness, which thank God you.
Annouchka: Mm-hmm.
Paula: And also looking at scriptures, the Bible.
Annouchka: The Bible, yeah.
Paula: Encouraged you to…
Annouchka: Encourage. Yeah.
Paula: Transition from…
Annouchka: Transition. Yes.
Paula: Pharmacy.
Annouchka: Yes.
Paula: To entrepreneurship.
Annouchka: Entrepreneur. Yeah.
Paula: Okay. So let’s talk about. How does pharmacy meet AI? How does wellness meet AI? How does AI come into this? Because 14 years ago there was no AI.
Annouchka: You know, there was AI, but we didn’t know about it.
Paula: You’re right. As I said that I got a check in my spirit. There was AI.
Annouchka: We didn’t know about it, unfortunately. Because people who knew [00:06:00] about AI, they’re millionaires now.
Paula: Yep. You are so right. And we were hailing them and say, how do they, you know, how do they do that?
Annouchka: Yeah, yeah. They’re millionaires. Now, people who knew AI 20 years ago, because I’m following this girl, she’s an AI expert. She’s been in AI 20 years ago, so it exists. So because we weren’t aware of it.
Paula: We just weren’t aware of it, just…
Annouchka: So, now we are just aware of it because it’s getting implemented everywhere in America now.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So it’s a new era. It’s the era of digitalization is the era of AI now after COVID now.
Paula: Yes.
Annouchka: So, so, so it’s a mindset shift.
Paula: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Annouchka: It is a mindset shift, because a lot of people still don’t believe in AI. Can you imagine?
Paula: No, I can’t. It impacts our lives, so…
Annouchka: [00:07:00] Especially in Africa. I have a lot of friends. They don’t believe in AI. The AI is coming after us. So if you don’t learn, if you don’t learn AI, study AI now. In 5 years, 10 years, you are done.
Paula: I don’t know even know if we have as much as five years. It’s, I mean,
Annouchka: it’s here now.
Paula: It’s here,
Annouchka: it’s here.
Paula: And it’s impacting our lives very rapidly. I mean,
Annouchka: Rapidly. Yes.
Paula: Mm-hmm. Even if you look at the models, you know, they go at 4.0 and now we at 5.2 for the ChatGPT…
Annouchka: Yes.
Paula: At least. So yeah, it’s moving very quickly.
Annouchka: Yes. So, you know, I’m a pharmacist, right?
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: I have a health and wellness business.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: And I have a consulting business where I do medication therapy management. I do drug safety. I do pharmacovigilance but this year I combine AI in my business.
Paula: Okay. [00:08:00]
Annouchka: So when you have a business, you have to combine it with AI now. Because that’s where you get a lot of opportunities. Because there’s a lot of money on grants, contract here in America, even in Africa. Now, when you have a AI business, you have a lot of opportunity to get grants, to get contract. So you have to go after the opportunity. Do you understand? So it is a mindset shift. So the way I think now, people will not understand me. But if you do a lot of research, you follow a lot of people who does AI, you will understand that AI is already there. So you have to take the opportunity to learn AI and teach AI to impact and make a profit.
Paula: So tell me how you are, okay, let’s talk about wellness now. How are you using AI for, you know, prevention as a digital health tool? I know that your business [00:09:00] is primarily in Africa and Gabon and Ivory Coast, if I recall.
Annouchka: Mm-hmm.
Paula: Yeah. How are you using AI now to help, you know, improve health and wellness, improve the healthcare back in those two countries because I know you are tied to those two countries?
Annouchka: So it’s AI, AI is fast.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: If I have a client, he has a concern, he has a lot of questions, AI will help me, like I use…
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: ChatGPT a lot.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So it helped me to personalize my wellness guidance. You know, I use AI to help translate heart health and vitamin information into personalized easy to understand wellness guidance based on lifestyle, symptom and the client goals, so the client can make informed safer choices.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So I use AI to educate. I do a lot of workshop. I use AI to do my workshop. It allows me to educate people, thousands of people at [00:10:00] once through digital tool, content, workshop, chat based on support about, I know I teach about prevention, self care, and without, you know, without replacing medical advice, of course. So I do a lot of stuff with AI. It helps me a lot and it’s fast and I get access beyond borders. So it helps me reach community in Africa easy and the diaspora who lack easy access to healthcare education, bringing trusted knowledge, wellness knowledge to the phones in a cultural relevant way. So it’s AI . Everything’s digital now. I do podcasts, I do work workshop. I do masterclass.
Paula: That’s very impressive. Like you with a background in pharmacy are now incorporating technology into what you [00:11:00] do.
Annouchka: Technology. Yes.
Paula: In order to create awareness and to help people.
Annouchka: Yes, yes. So people will ask me, oh, you’re not an expert in AI in IT. You don’t need an IT background to know AI. You just need to read to be curious.
Paula: Mm-hmm. So are you now, in addition to, you know, the healthcare as you say, expanding your business too, you know. Because with AI you’re using it to like, as you say, quickly diagnose or help someone who has a medical concern. And the main two countries, again, I’m gonna say Gabon and Ivory Coast. Are you also using it as a tool to educate them, you know, showing them how to use AI for their day-to-day living, how to use AI. Like if they have to ask a question or they’re reading something in French, they can use it to translate very quickly into English [00:12:00] and other, you know, educational…
Annouchka: yes,
Paula: in ways?
Annouchka: Yes, AI will translate it in French for me and for them.
Paula: For them.
Annouchka: Yes.
Paula: Okay. So I know you talk about building impact across Africa, expanding that like, you know, how do you scale that in a way that is purposeful and the people that you’re talking will realize that there is a purpose behind the work you’re doing?
Annouchka: Like building across Africa?
Paula: Yes. You said you’re breaking down borders because of what you’re doing, and how are you scaling, you know, purpose-driven health businesses between Africa and let’s break it down again. There are two countries in Africa that you’re really concentrating on. Am I correct?
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: Okay. So how are you breaking down those borders and scaling businesses between the US and Gabon and Ivory Coast?
Annouchka: You know, people always say, how do you have a [00:13:00] business in Africa?
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: How do you trust people? They’re going to steal your money.
Paula: Hey!
Annouchka: They’re going to do this, they’re going to do that. How do you cope? You know, business is taking risk.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: You know, risk is faith. Like I say I’m always going to quote the Bible because I’m here today because of the grace of God.
Paula: Amen. Go.
Annouchka: I’m here today.
Paula: Go ahead. I’m also… I also quote the Bible. I’m a Bible believeing podcaster.
Annouchka: Yeah. So I start taking my vitamins because I went through something. Maybe God wanted me to grow through it.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: To make an impact. Sometime we go through suffering. Maybe there’s a purpose behind it. And today I am alive. I am in good health. A hundred percent. They are even surprised. Like I just want to thank God. [00:14:00] That’s why I created it. So everything I do is faith-based. Having a business in Africa and you live in United States or Europe is very hard. But you have to believe in your vision because God gave me a vision, right? That I have to fulfill. I have to be committed. So God will always make a way what there seem to be no way.
Paula: Yeah.
Annouchka: I’m not saying that having a business in Africa, it’s easy, but business in general is not easy.
Paula: Correct.
Annouchka: Even here in America, people have business here. They still get… people steal, they still have problems. Right.
Paula: That’s why we have spam preventor and scam.
Annouchka: That’s why. Right?
Paula: Yep.
Annouchka: That’s how you have to believe in your business you have, because nobody else will believe in what you are doing. It’s only you. So you will have the naysayers. People will say negative stuff, but you have to stay [00:15:00] focused. You have to stay. You have to be disciplined because through discipline, it brings consistency. It will bring success. But if you’re not disciplined, if you’re not focused, you fail. A lot of my colleagues, a lot of my, the African friend, they are scared to have business in Africa, but you cannot be scared because God didn’t give us a spirit of faith, spirit of parliament sign.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So you have to use that power that God gave you, believe in your vision, have the business and God will take care of the rest. There’s going to be up and down. You know, I opened since 2021 in Gabon. I was in a small boutique, a small place. People stole. You know, my sales assistant stole money, but I’m not going to let that to close. That’s how I’m going to [00:16:00] think. I’m going to sit down. I’m going to scare the business. I’m going to put system to prevent theft. You have to put systems. You have to scale. You have to automate. Mm-hmm. But in order to do that, you have to spend money to make money.
Paula: Yes.
Annouchka: So a lot of people are scared to spend money, but business, you have to spend a lot of money. I lost a lot of money. I spend a lot of money. Now, I see the profit. A lot of people they are not patient especially African. We are not patient. We want to see the result right away. No business. Business is not like that. It’s perseverance.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: You have to try it. Try it, try it, like iterate, iterate. Start it over again. Be disciplined, be focused. And you’ll see that your business will succeed after. [00:17:00] And you know, and you need to look for partnership…
Paula: Collaborations.
Annouchka: No Operations. You know, it’s very hard in Africa when you bought from a America, you had to go through customs. You had to pay them. You had to get this papers to open your business. So there’s a lot of stuff, but everything is possible. It is always possible. Sometime they come and do inspection. You don’t have this document, you don’t have this document. You learn every day in business.
Paula: Absolutely. Yes.
Annouchka: And also when they see that you are trusted because I lead with trust, education. I do a lot of workshop there. So they know you. They will trust you. And that’s how you get contract.
Paula: Yeah. They know you. They trust you.
Annouchka: They trust you,
Paula: and they get contracts. So, now you’re talking about contracts, and you’re talking about [00:18:00] contracts. Let’s focus on Africa, talking about contracts in Gabon and Ivory Coast. So how have you been able to revolutionize, like drug safety? How have you been able to get contracts that has enabled you to go into some of the rural areas and do medication management?
Annouchka: Mm-hmm.
Paula: How have you been able to do that? Because I know that, as you rightfully said, there are lots of obstacles that you have to overcome, but I think with using AI, how have you been able to overcome some of those obstacles? Like being able to, you know, talk about medication safety? ’cause that’s a problem we have back… well I’m also from Africa.
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: You know, how have you been able to use AI for that? I think I’ve repeated that question over, over because I’m very interested.
Annouchka: So for my AI business now…
Paula: mm-hmm.
Annouchka: It’s still a startup.
Paula: Okay.
Annouchka: It’s still a startup. So, I’m looking for [00:19:00] investors.
Paula: Oh, okay.
Annouchka: So I haven’t got any contract yet, but I have investors that are interested.
Paula: Okay,
Annouchka: so I’m preparing for pitches. You know, I go and talk about it.
Paula: Okay.
Annouchka: And hopefully, because I have one investor who is interested.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: Because it’s about drug safety, pharmacovigilance, you know, there’s a lot of mistake, a lot of drug safety issue, especially in my country. I don’t know about other countries. But when I read the article, there’s a lot of drug safety, pharmacovigilance issue in Africa. So that’s why I wanted to bring out, you know, I wanted to combine AI, you know, to help this country, to help the hospital with a system, to catch medication error, to prevent medication error.
Paula: I [00:20:00] know that happens and there’s less accountability there.
Annouchka: Yeah. So PharmaEllie, you know, it focuses what is often neglected, you know, like medication therapy management, pharmacovigilance and error prevention, areas that directly impact patient safety.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: Patient safety and healthcare costs because there’s a lot of mistakes that can be prevented through the system through, through AI.
Paula: Why so true? That’s so true. So just before we wrap up, because I mean, I’m really intrigued with what you’re doing. Can you tell us about one case without disclosing names that you’ve seen, how you know what you’re doing has been helpful in either Gabon or in Ivory Coast? Where you’ve been able to use [00:21:00] AI in like, what did you mention?
In
Annouchka: like doing,
Paula: helping? Mm-hmm. Go ahead.
Annouchka: Like, like mostly AI or the NaturEllie side?
Paula: Yeah, I was thinking about like, have you had a case, I know this, you said this is a startup, so have you had an opportunity to actually use AI in a case with a patient in Gabon or Ivory Coast where you were able to use AI to facilitate the drug safety or to even help with the medication management? If we had any case like that, or it’s too early to call that at the moment.
Annouchka: It’s too early to call that because I’m still a startup.
Paula: Okay.
Annouchka: I’m still a startup but I talked with Director of the Health Center in Gabon.
Paula: Okay.
Annouchka: So they have a huge issue with drug safety.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So I gave him some advice. Some advice about implemented AI, you know, implemented AI combining with [00:22:00] pharmacovigilance and drug safety. So right now I’m planning to go back to Gabon in March to meet him and talk about my platform, you know, the AI power pharmacovigilance and drug safety.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: To see if they’ll be interested in implementing it. Okay. But with NaturEllie, I have a lot of cases.
Paula: Alright. Because that was good. That’s why I smiled and said, okay, now let’s go to NaturEllie.
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: Because that one I know was before this one PharmaEllie.
Annouchka: Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, NaturEllie, I have a lot of cases .I have a lot of clients, you know, that come to me, that are suffering from chronic condition like hypertension, diabetes, cancer. And you know, I gave them an advice on what vitamin to take.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: So when I gave them the recommendation and they buy it, a month after, they’ll come back to me and say that they feel better. So I get very good testimonies.
Paula: Wonderful.
Annouchka: I get [00:23:00] good testimonies. You know, I get very good testimony through my consultation.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: Because before the consultation when I have a client, you know, who want to talk to me, who want to go through the consultation, you know, I pay a lot of attention. I ask them what they need, I ask them a lot of question, and from them, I came back with recommendation. So it takes a lot of research for me because I have to make sure that the vitamin is good. It’s a quality vitamin. You know, I don’t buy anything everywhere. I buy organic quality vitamins, and I know that the vitamins will work on the client and the client will feel better. And a month, two months after you come back and give a testimony. So that’s what I’m looking for.
Paula: And that doesn’t in any way prevent because like [00:24:00] pharmaceutical, there’s big pharma and then there’s the natural organic going back to the roots. They’re kind of like an opposite ends of the spectrum, aren’t they?
Annouchka: Yes. Yes.
Paula: So I’m thinking that because you are a pharmacist, you are also able to know that, okay.
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: Yes, go ahead.
Annouchka: Because everything is NaturEllie. NaturEllie is mostly my story, what I went through. NaturEllie is nature and Elijah. I just wanted to, you know.
Paula: Ah, that’s where that comes from.
Annouchka: That comes from, yeah. It just to say, thank you, God. Nature, God created the earth.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: And everything nature. It’s healing, it’s therapeutic. And Ellie is, Elijah is God.
Paula: Mm.
Annouchka: Now PharmaEllie is pharmacy and God, because I’m a pharmacist.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: And everything in PharmaEllie is what I’m doing at [00:25:00] work as a pharmacist. So it’s my skill, my experience combining with AI. I made it a business.
Paula: Sure. Whereas NaturEllie is your story.
Annouchka: It’s my story. Yeah. PharmaEllie is my experience as a pharmacist combining with AI to say God gave me the knowledge. Right?
Paula: Got you.
Annouchka: And I have a third business now, a coaching business, which is a faith-based business coaching. I said faith-based because God gave us, like, I would say everything is possible through God, we give you strength. So you can do anything you want in life through God if you want it. You can do anything. Anything, if you put your mind into it.
Paula: I agree. I agree 100%. Yeah, but that would have to [00:26:00] be for another show. You talk about you using faith, leadership and your coaching, because that’s what I’m hearing from you.
Annouchka: Yeah.
Paula: You know?
Annouchka: Yeah. Because we all have, we have to be a millionaires because I don’t know why we cannot be millionaires. If this person is a millionaire, I can do it too. Right? It’s not about jealousy, envy. No, you can do it too.
Paula: I also see in your passion to help, it’s not just about you.
Annouchka: Yeah. I want to help too. I love to help people. I’m a very nice person. I’m very enthusiastic.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: You know, I… what can I say? I’m very…
Paula: Dynamic.
Annouchka: I’m very enthusiastic. People will say I’m like my father.
Paula: Hmm.
Annouchka: My father was a businessman.
Paula: Ah, that’s,
Annouchka: he was a general of the army and general of the army and the businessman.
Paula: Hmm.
Annouchka: Yeah. And I know what I want.
Paula: And you go after it.
Annouchka: I want [00:27:00] to be a millionaire, so I have to go after it.
Paula: Go after it.
Annouchka: Right?
Paula: I commend for that. I celebrate you for that. Alright, so, because we know that people in the audience who wanna ask you questions, but then this is also gonna live on YouTube and Apple Podcast and Spotify, someone who is listening or viewing this show, if they’ve heard you, that what you’re doing and they’re very interested in getting in touch with you, where can they find you online?
Annouchka: Oh, sorry. Can you repeat it? Let me…
Paula: Oh, okay. So I’m asking how can people get in touch with you? If they would like, if they’re not in the audience, they’re listening to this at a later date because it’s gonna be an audio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast, and it’s also gonna live on YouTube. If someone is listening or viewing this and they want to talk with you or get in touch with you,
Annouchka: They can get in touch through LinkedIn. It’s [00:28:00] under Annouchka Ondias-Kouamé.
Paula: Mm-hmm.
Annouchka: They can get me on Facebook, Annouchka Ondias-Kouamé . They can get me on Instagram on the dr.kanouche. They can get me on social media.
Paula: Okay. Alright, so we’ve dropped all of that in the chat so that anyone, and it’ll be in the show notes too, so if anyone is trying to get in touch with you, they can.
Annouchka: Yes, exactly. Yes.
Paula: Okay.
Annouchka: Yes.
Paula: For those of you who have heard the story of this dynamic entrepreneurial pharmacist who is using pharmacy and AI to improve healthcare in the two countries in West Africa, that she’s very much connected with, which are Gabon and Ivory Coast. If you’d like to be a guest, just as she has been, on Chatting with the Experts, reach out to me on my website, [00:29:00] which is chattingwiththeexperts.com, or you can get in touch with me on LinkedIn, my business page there is Chatting with the Experts. You can also look for Paula Okonneh. That’s my profile. I am on Instagram. My handle there is at chat_experts_podcast. I’m also on Facebook. My business page there is Chatting with the Experts and you can also search for Paula Okonneh. And last but not least, but very impactful is our YouTube channel. I ask that you subscribe and like, and support us as we showcase the voices of experts from Africa, from the Caribbean, and in the diaspora who are educating women, who are encouraging women and empowering women. Not just in Africa, but all over the world. Thank you so [00:30:00] much, Dr. Annouchka, and now we open up the floor for those who have joined us to engage with you even more and ask you additional questions. Thank you.