Ugandan students build Maternity App – Winsenga, will reduce maternal mortality. Awarded $50,000 by Microsoft

Ugandan App developers (left to right): Joshua Okello, Josiah Kavuma, Aaron Tushabe and Joseph Kaizzi. PHOTO/Aaron Tushabe

Three Ugandan university students have won a US$50,000 grant from Microsoft for designing an ultra sound application (App).

The students – Joshua Okello, Josiah Kavuma and Aaron Tushabe designed and built the Winsenga app. The Winsenga app can be used to perform ultrasounds on pregnant women and detect problems such as ectopic pregnancies, or abnormal fetal heart beats.

The Winsenga App is expected to help reduce the maternal mortality rate in Uganda and by extension the African continent.

The Winsenga App developers beat 12 finalists who were selected for scoring the highest marks, impact and viability, team quality and motivation, solution design and problem definition during the Social Innovation Summit held on December 4 in the Silicon valley, California.

In addition to the monetary prize, the Winsenga team will receive solution provider support, computing services and Microsoft will also provide the team with access to its network of investors.