Expanding Access to Safe Abortion Care in Rwanda: The IKAZE Telehealth Platform
Unsafe abortions remain a significant global health challenge. According to the World Health Organization, 22 million abortions are performed unsafely each year, leading to approximately 47,000 deaths. In Rwanda, unsafe abortions occur at a rate of 25 per 1,000 women aged 15–44, despite the country’s progress in legalizing and providing safe abortion services. Women still face barriers such as long travel distances, limited providers, and long waiting times at hospitals.
The IKAZE Telehealth Safe Abortion Platform is a groundbreaking solution that brings safe abortion services closer to communities. By enabling health center nurses to provide care with remote support from doctors, the platform ensures women can access services at their nearest health center. Powered by AI, IKAZE supports 24/7 consultations, tele-ultrasound guidance, and secure data management, helping providers deliver high-quality care while maintaining patient confidentiality.
The platform’s objectives include:
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Implementing AI-assisted clinical decision tools for comprehensive abortion care.
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Facilitating real-time remote support, including messaging, audio/video calls, and tele-ultrasound guidance.
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Ensuring secure, efficient data collection and reporting to inform policy and healthcare planning.
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A modern, scalable telemedicine platform with full interoperability.
Key Features include secure authentication, role-based access, multi-factor login, real-time chat and video consultations, AI-powered symptom collection and personalized care plans, predictive health analysis, and interactive training modules for staff.
Built with robust technologies—Node.js, React.js, PostgreSQL, AWS, Google Cloud, WebRTC, AES-256 encryption—IKAZE ensures reliability, scalability, and full compliance with local and international data protection laws, including GDPR and HIPAA.
Ethics and Security are central to IKAZE. The platform encrypts data in transit and at rest, anonymizes patient information when needed, and undergoes regular security audits to protect sensitive health data.
Behind IKAZE is a dedicated multidisciplinary team led by medical doctors, software engineers and health informatics specialists. The team combines clinical expertise with cutting-edge digital health innovation.
With IKAZE, Rwanda takes a transformative step toward accessible, safe, and confidential abortion care, empowering healthcare providers and improving outcomes for women across the country.
