The Digital Health Award was a brand new category in 2014, designed to highlight the changes in how we use tech when it comes to our health. We received some brilliant nominations, like Breaking Free Online, an internet-based treatment programme that enables people to overcome alcohol and drug dependence, and Alive! activities, whose use of the Internet and iPads in interactive workshops improves the lives of people with dementia, physical and/or learning disabilities, brain injury or degenerative illnesses.
But it was Peek Vision who took the Award for their innovative, easy to use, affordable and portable product, PEEK. Developed by a team of ophthalmologists, engineers, software developers and researchers, PEEK is a smart-phone based portable kit for comprehensive eye examinations in even the remotest of settings.
80% of blindness is avoidable.
Peek Vision set out with one goal in mind: To expand access to high quality eye care, empower all health workers to diagnose eye diseases and simplify managing and monitoring treatment of patients anywhere in the world, by harnessing mobile phone apps, hardware and rigorous scientific testing.
Dr Andrew Bastawrous, ophthalmologist and co-founder of Peek Vision, says that winning has made them all the more determined to work with partners to make a sizeable dent on avoidable blindness:
“It was a real honour to be recognised in the Tech4Good Awards. We were able to raise over £150,000 through prize money and a very successful crowd-funding campaign to launch a unique adapter, Peek Retina, which makes it possible to view and image inside the eye with your smartphone.
“We’ve also launched a major trial in Kitale, Kenya, where 20,000 children will have their vision screened by teachers using Peek. We have also launched other projects in Tanzania, Botswana, Mali and Malawi, with further studies planned in India and the UK.”
Learn more about Peek Vision on the Tech4Good website, visit their website or watch Andrew Bastawrous’ TED talk to find out more about the incredible impact that Peek Vision are having on avoidable blindness across the world.
