Sim Shagaya
Sim is a Nigerian media and technology entrepreneur and a strong advocate for education in Africa.
May 26, 2023
Dr. Sedric Degbo is a Beninese medical doctor and entrepreneur who is reshaping the future of healthcare in Africa.
He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of REMA (Réseau d’Échange entre Médecins d’Afrique), a fast-growing health-tech company based in Cotonou, Benin.
REMA was launched in 2017 with a mission to solve one of the most pressing challenges in African healthcare: how to reduce medical errors by improving communication among medical professionals.
His journey into entrepreneurship began from the frontline of medicine.
His journey into entrepreneurship began from the frontline of medicine.
After practising as a general practitioner, Dr. Degbo became deeply concerned by the high rate of preventable medical errors across the continent.
He witnessed firsthand how isolation among doctors and the lack of real-time access to peer consultation often put patient lives at risk.
This experience inspired him to take a bold step away from clinical practice and build a digital platform that connects doctors across the region.
REMA is essentially a mobile platform that allows African doctors to share clinical cases, seek second opinions, and participate in continuous medical education.
REMA is essentially a mobile platform that allows African doctors to share clinical cases, seek second opinions, and participate in continuous medical education.
The goal is to empower healthcare professionals to make better decisions, faster.
Under Dr. Degbo’s leadership, REMA has grown into a trusted community of over 6,000 verified medical professionals from more than 20 African countries.
The platform doesn’t just support clinical decision-making—it also offers specialized services like Rema Learning for online medical courses, Rema Jobs to connect doctors with work opportunities, and Rema Business, which enables healthcare companies to ethically engage with practitioners.
Dr. Degbo’s work through REMA has been widely recognized across the continent. The platform won the Seedstars Abidjan regional competition in 2018 and has gained international attention at innovation showcases such as AfricUp and inwiDays.
Dr. Degbo’s work through REMA has been widely recognized across the continent. The platform won the Seedstars Abidjan regional competition in 2018 and has gained international attention at innovation showcases such as AfricUp and inwiDays.
His leadership in digital health innovation has also positioned him as a thought leader beyond REMA. He serves on the board of the Bluemind Foundation, a pan-African initiative focused on mental health awareness and support.
What makes Dr. Degbo’s story remarkable is his unwavering focus on impact.
What makes Dr. Degbo’s story remarkable is his unwavering focus on impact.
Rather than chase trends, he focuses on solving real problems that affect everyday people in Africa.
Through REMA, he is helping to build a health ecosystem that is not only collaborative and informed, but also resilient in the face of ongoing challenges like limited infrastructure and human resource constraints.
His academic background as a trained medical doctor gave him the foundation to understand the nuances of healthcare, but his entrepreneurial mindset is what turned that knowledge into a scalable impact.
His academic background as a trained medical doctor gave him the foundation to understand the nuances of healthcare, but his entrepreneurial mindset is what turned that knowledge into a scalable impact.
With REMA, he’s proving that homegrown innovation can play a central role in Africa’s development story. His work contributes not just to the health sector, but also to the broader vision of a connected and empowered Africa where technology is used to drive inclusive growth.
In Dr. Degbo’s words, the mission is simple but powerful: improve medical decision-making and save lives through collaboration.
In Dr. Degbo’s words, the mission is simple but powerful: improve medical decision-making and save lives through collaboration.
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