Millions of children die each year because they did not get adequate and timely care. The majority of these deaths occur in low-resource settings. One of the biggest challenges in reducing the number of children dying is to recognize problems such as severe infections in an early stage. Shortage of staff and lack of suitable equipment are important contributing factors to this problem. This is something Goal 3 founder Niek Versteegde experienced first hand while working in a rural hospital in Tanzania.

“When I think back to working in Tanzania, I remember patients who died on my watch. Especially the deaths of children were heartbreaking. To know that 10 times more children die before the age of 5 in low resource settings compared to western settings is staggering. When you see it happen in real life it wipes you of your feet. To lose a child because of delays in diagnosis and treatment is something no-one should experience.” – Niek Versteegde

This experience has led to a strong determination and drive to find solutions to this problem. When founders Bart Bierling and Niek Versteegde met, it soon led to fruitful discussions about the role and possibilities for technology to improve healthcare in low resource settings. This early collaboration led to the erection of the social enterprise/startup GOAL 3.