December 5, 2021

The Illumigyn Gynescope, a fully remote and first-of-its-kind gynecological imaging platform, will be distributed across Africa to improve early diagnosis and detection rates of cervical cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, out of the 20 countries with the highest prevalence rates across the globe, 19 are in Africa. Cervical cancer is also the second most common and fatal cancer in women in Sub-Saharan Africa, with more women dying of cervical cancer each year than during childbirth.

When diagnosed early, however, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. This is why Illumigyn and Peramare Enterprises signed a distribution agreement for 20,000 Gynescope units.

“This partnership has one very critical goal: to ensure the early detection of cervical cancer in women in Africa,” said Illumigyn Founder Ran Poliakine.

“We established Illumigyn to democratize women’s healthcare and to bring advanced gynecological care to women worldwide, and we are proud to be driving change across Africa,” he added.

The system performs high-resolution imaging of the cervix, vagina, and external genitalia. The images are uploaded to Illumigyn’s secure cloud, to be used for remote diagnostics, ongoing medical supervision, and additional consultations.

Since the system can be operated by any trained caregiver, including nurses and midwives, it allows for women to be screened and diagnosed even in remote locations without access to physicians.

The deal was made possible due to credit backing from Afreximbank, a pan-African multilateral trade finance institution.

“Cervical cancer is among the highest killers of our women,” said Oluranti Doherty, director of export development of Afreximbank.

“Any attempt at early detection and prevention is a very welcome step. In my mind, Illumigyn’s solution brings a great relief, which will have many health and socio-economic benefits for women.”

In September, Illumigyn signed a memorandum of understanding to bring 2,500 Gynescopes to the Gulf states.

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