Salihu Ibrahim, a staff member at the Federal University of Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State, has developed a software application for the early diagnosis of diabetes and breast cancer.
Abdullahi Yahaya, the institution’s spokesman, revealed the information in a statement in Dutse on Friday.
Mr Yahaya stated that Mr Ibrahim, Head of the Medical Biochemistry Department, had identified diabetes and breast cancer as major diseases affecting Nigeria and Africa.
He explained that the HOD, a well-known phytomedicine researcher, was looking for ways to minimise the scourge.
Mr Yahaya stated that almost 70 per cent of diabetic patients in Africa were unaware of their condition, and they often discover it accidentally.
“Since almost everyone has a mobile phone, I felt I could develop an application software to help people identify their risk level.
“But the software will not prescribe medication; instead, it will assess whether users are at high, medium, or low risk and advise them to seek medical intervention.
“This software will be more beneficial, especially for people living in rural areas, because they can quickly assess their risk levels from the comfort of their homes.
“It will save them the stress of waiting for long periods to see a doctor,” he quoted Ibrahim as saying.
The information officer also stated that the researcher came up with the idea for the breast cancer screening app while attending a university-sponsored Innovation Hub Training.
According to him, the breast cancer software application will guide even women without a higher education because it is straightforward and visually appealing.
“The application has already been licensed with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and I’m sure the university will also benefit from it.
“The applications have not been uploaded to the Play Store, because in order to be available on the Play Store, they need to be commercialised and allow interested parties to invest in the idea,” he quoted Mr Ibrahim as further saying.