MediFinder

Your health, one click away.

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Inspiration

Access to essential medicines is still a daily struggle in many parts of West Africa. In rural areas, patients often face closed pharmacies, unexpected stockouts, or are forced to travel long distances only to find that the drugs they need are unavailable.

As an engineering student at École Polytechnique de Thiès, I’ve seen how this problem affects people close to me. It made me realize how technology could bridge this gap. That’s why I started developing MediFinder — a mobile-first platform to make medicine access faster, smarter, and more inclusive.

What it does

MediFinder is a mobile application that helps users locate nearby pharmacies with the exact medications they need — in real time. Users can:

  • Search or scan a prescription to find available medicines
  • View live stock data and pharmacy details on a map
  • Add items to a cart and choose between pickup or delivery
  • Pay securely through mobile money (Orange Money, Wave)
  • Get reminders for medication intake and availability
  • Chat with a licensed pharmacist for guidance
  • Access trusted information on traditional remedies (e.g., neem, aloe vera)

The app is designed for everyone, but especially benefits rural populations, the elderly, people with limited mobility, and chronic patients.

How we built it

The project is being developed using a modular architecture. So far, I have:

  • Designed the mobile frontend using React Native with Expo Go for cross-platform deployment
  • Developed the backend with Spring Boot and JHipster, providing secure APIs and microservice scalability
  • Integrated Keycloak for user authentication and role-based access control
  • Connected Elasticsearch to enable fast and intelligent medicine searches
  • Designed a system for pharmacies to update stock via a simple web dashboard (mobile-friendly)
  • Prepared integration with Orange Money and Wave APIs for payments
  • Used PostgreSQL as the main database and OCR for prescription scanning in the next phase

Challenges we ran into

  • Digital readiness: Many pharmacies have no inventory system. I had to build lightweight stock update tools tailored to their needs.
  • Network limitations: To serve rural users, I had to optimize for low bandwidth and ensure parts of the app can function offline.
  • Payment integration: Dealing with fragmented and undocumented mobile money APIs is still an ongoing challenge.
  • Health compliance: Ensuring that all medical data is verified and accurate requires collaboration with certified pharmacists.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Designing a healthtech solution focused on inclusion and accessibility in the West African context
  • Building a scalable backend using modern technologies and open standards
  • Successfully integrating Keycloak for secure and flexible identity management
  • Receiving encouraging feedback from pharmacists and local health workers
  • Proving that it's possible to build impactful tools for underserved communities with limited resources

What we learned

This project helped me develop both technical and human-centered skills. I learned how to:

  • Design intuitive user experiences for diverse populations
  • Collaborate with stakeholders in the health sector
  • Understand the social, technical, and regulatory challenges of health innovation in Africa
  • Think not just like a developer, but like a problem-solver with real-world impact

What's next for MediFinder

The next steps for MediFinder include:

  • Completing OCR-based prescription scanning
  • Finalizing integration with mobile money platforms
  • Expanding pharmacy partnerships and deploying in real pilot zones
  • Adding SMS/USSD support for feature phone users
  • Training a lightweight health chatbot using real pharmacist knowledge
  • Seeking partnerships with public health institutions for broader reach
  • Publishing the app on Android and testing its scalability

MediFinder is just beginning, but I’m committed to making it a trusted tool in the hands of patients across West Africa.

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