Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, 21 August 2025 – The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) will provide a total of 1.7 million euros in funding for four digital health projects in countries with limited resources. With its special “Digital Health” call for proposals, the EKFS aims to encourage the practical implementation of digital technologies, such as software solutions and digital devices, as well as to assess their scalability with a large number of users.
The selected projects are based on digital solutions with the potential to demonstrably improve the quality of healthcare provision in the long term. “We see digital medicine as a huge opportunity to provide more efficient and effective healthcare in underserved regions,” says Dr. Jochen Bitzer, who is responsible for humanitarian funding at the EKFS.
While digital health technologies are already used widely in many countries in the Global South, reliable data on their actual effectiveness is often lacking. The EKFS will specifically address this issue with its funding.
Following a multi-step international evaluation procedure, four of the 47 proposals submitted were selected to receive immediate funding. Aspects such as the degree of innovation, stage of implementation, user orientation, and anticipated long-term impact were particularly decisive during selection.
Supporting brain health in Zambia: the innovative “Brain Train” digital training program: Andrea Winkler, Tamara Welte | Organization: Center for Global Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM) | Local partner: Neurology Unit, University Teaching Hospital, University of Zambia (UNZA), Lusaka, Zambia
The project goal is lasting improvement of care for people with neurological, neurosurgical, and psychiatric conditions in rural Zambia. The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO®) telemedicine model will be used in Africa for the first time in the fields of neurology and brain health. This telementoring program aims to support the treatment and prevention of neurological and other nervous system-related conditions and to facilitate access to targeted training and professional networks for healthcare professionals. Particular emphasis will be placed on the interdisciplinary approach, along with the program’s long-term implementation and its scalability. The project builds on an existing successful neurology training program.
Vision for tomorrow: improving eye healthcare in Zambia through digital technology: Anna-Marie Hetterich | Organization: CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e. V. | Local partner: Kitwe Teaching Eye Hospital (KTEH), Copperbelt Province, Zambia
This project aims to improve ophthalmological care in three districts in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. Key elements include the portable eye examination kit (“PEEK”) smartphone app for mobile eye tests, screenings, and digital referrals, along with slit-lamp systems in two clinics linked via telemedicine for follow-up diagnostics in collaboration with the referral hospital, Kitwe Teaching Eye Hospital (KTEH). The app will be used to perform screenings, mainly in schools and communities. Findings and referrals will be saved and transmitted digitally. More complex cases will be referred to KTEH via telemedicine to decide on further treatment. This will take place in collaboration with local clinics and the British nonprofit organization Peek Vision and forms part of the national eye health strategy. The program aims to reach around 400,000 people. A plan to hand the project over to local facilities will ensure its continuation in the long term.
Digitalization of ETAT protocols to enhance emergency pediatric care in Malawi: Barbara Zimmer | Organization: German Society of Tropical Pediatrics and International Child Health (GTP) | Local partners: Malawian Ministry of Health (MoH); Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi
This project involves digitalizing Malawi’s existing guidelines on emergency triage, assessment, and treatment (ETAT) for children. The existing paper-based guidelines are to be converted into a digital decision-making tool that enables rapid, standardized emergency care that can be accessed at all times. The tool is to be deployed in healthcare facilities across the country to aid in decision-making. The ETAT guidelines are already well established in Malawi and have been officially recognized by the Malawian Ministry of Health. Fifteen hospitals and healthcare centers are to gradually be added to the network, with rollout throughout Malawi planned in the project’s fifth year. Close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Kamuzu University will help to ensure that the tool is widely accepted and has high practical relevance and a lasting impact.
Smartphone-based, AI-powered health screening via telemedicine to detect diabetic retinopathy – scalable and efficient long-term care: Maximilian Wintergerst | Organization: University Hospital Bonn | Local partners: Sankara Eye Foundation, Bangalore, India; Microsoft Research India, Bangalore, India; Organization for Rural Community Development (ORCD), Narail, Bangladesh; University of Calabar (UNICAL) Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria; University of Cape Coast (UCC), Cape Coast, Ghana
This project will facilitate screening for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) via smartphone in communities where the project partners are active, namely in India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ghana. More cases of this common but frequently missed complication of diabetes could then be detected and preventable blindness avoided. A total of 572 mobile screening camps will be set up for this purpose, where trained health workers will use a smartphone to perform affordable retinal checks. Telemedicine, AI-based image analysis, and a scientific evaluation will be used to determine the scalability, sustainability, and effectiveness of this approach. The project will build on extensive preliminary work and collaborations with partner clinics. The focus will be on the third project phase, expansion and evaluation of the project.
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) – Advancing research. Helping people.
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the funding and advancement of medical research and the support of humanitarian projects. To date the foundation has funded around 2,800 projects. With an annual funding volume currently amounting around 60 million euros it is the largest foundation in Germany that actively funds and supports medicine. You can find more information at: www.ekfs.de/en
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Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
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