Cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. According to WHO, victims of these silent, but vicious ailments are not just limited to particular demography as we erroneously thought in the past.
In recent times, research has it that one-third of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.
Inspired to help people identify risk factors and prevent these diseases is Bridget Nwgabara, founder of Viedial. Not only is she passionate about improving the quality of people’s lives but she is committed to ensuring that cardiovascular disease patients get a new lease on life.
In the light of this, Ms. Nwagbara, a researcher, public health specialist, and founder, had a chat with techbuild.africa to share insights about Viedial and how it relates to her own experiences.
What does your company do?
Viedial will enable people to assess their risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, coach them to make healthy lifestyle changes to reduce these risk factors, monitor the changes in their health from anywhere and at any time.
What inspired you to start your company?
I have lost people I love to cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attacks that resulted from hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. I have observed that I am not alone in these sad losses.
It is very common for people to die from complications related to hypertension and type 2 diabetes and unfortunately, these health problems are not getting enough attention.
The good news is that these diseases are preventable if people identify their risk factors on time and take measures to prevent the diseases from progressing. Hence, I am inspired to devote the rest of my life to empowering people in Africa to identify their risk factors and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Why should anyone use your products or services?
It is important for people to assess their risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. When they identify these risk factors, they will need services that suit their needs, life, circumstances, and preferences. Our services are personalized to meet the unique needs, preferences, and life circumstances of each customer.
In addition to this, we don’t just connect people to essential hypertension and type 2 diabetes care and treatment, we follow them home and hold their hands to make the needed lifestyle changes that will provide them the best treatment outcome.
How did you begin your entrepreneurial journey?
I founded Viedial this year after participating in the Founder Institute. I joined FI to see if I could learn how to leverage technology and start-up principles to engage the public to make conscious efforts to protect their hearts and blood vessels.
While completing the program, I learned that FI could create an enabling environment for me to actually turn this into a profitable business. So, I took the leap.
What gives you the most satisfaction as an entrepreneur?
When my customers achieve their desired health goals, it is the most satisfying experience.
What are your future plans for your company?
I intend to scale up the solution and reach at least one million customers by the end of 2021.
What advice would you like to share with other women looking to start up their own ventures?
Do not let anything hold you back! Women are often bogged down by expectations to bear the most workload in providing care to their parents, siblings, husbands, and children. They have to learn to navigate these expectations in a manner that still gives them room to breathe and be creative.
This involves delegating these responsibilities as much as possible. You cannot be everything to everyone at the same time and still be productive.
Featured Image: Bridget Nwagbara, Founder, Viedial
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