Hannah Lokh is the co-founder of Medsbag, a bag containing a medical action plan that can be played back. She aims to support parents of children with severe allergies and chronic illnesses. She has now been awarded this year’s Göran Bredinger Scholarship, which is presented in collaboration with Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University.
According to the WHO, approximately 600 million people worldwide suffer from chronic conditions such as severe allergies, asthma, type 1 diabetes, and epilepsy. In the United States, 1,500 people die each year from anaphylactic shock.
“Many parents worry about and feel stressed when they have to leave their child, who has a serious chronic illness, at school, at various after-school activities, at parties, or with relatives and friends,” says Hannah Lohk.
The idea for Medsbag was born two years ago. Hannah Lohk’s younger brother, Matteo, has a severe allergy, and when he switched schools, the school told him he couldn’t go out into the schoolyard during recess because the staff wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him if he needed medical assistance. Together with her brother Oliver, their mom and dad, and a few other people, Hannah Lohk has developed Medsbag.
The bag contains the child’s medication and information about it, as well as details about the child and their medical condition. It also includes a speaker with a pre-recorded medical action plan, containing instructions on what to do in an emergency, recorded by the child’s parent.
“The idea is that anyone should be able to help in an emergency, much like with a defibrillator,” says Hannah Lohk.
The scholarship provides valuable support
Hannah Lohk of Medsbag has been awarded the 2022 Göran Bredinger Scholarship. The scholarship is worth 50,000 Swedish kronor, and Göran Bredinger—CEO of the Dieden Group and an entrepreneur with extensive experience and deep knowledge of business development and entrepreneurship—will serve as a mentor, providing support through his network and advice. Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University, for its part, contributes its network of contacts across various sectors and its expertise in social innovation.
“We’re thrilled to receive this grant, which will enable us to grow our company. We’re going to develop an app designed to empower individuals and families living with chronic illnesses and make their daily lives easier,” says Hannah Lohk.
The first bags have been sold and distributed
Hannah believes their product will appeal to both parents and schools. The first bags are currently being tested by users in Sweden; 30 bags have already been sold to Medsbag’s first customer in Switzerland; and they recently crowdfunded a shipment of Medsbag bags and delivered them to children and families in need in Ukraine through an aid organization.
Sara Bjärstorp, Forum for Social Innovation Sweden's , is looking forward to following Hannah Lohk and Medsbag.
“Including everyone in society is important. There are many people who work with children and others with chronic illnesses who could benefit from and be empowered by this innovation,” says Sara Bjärstorp, Executive Director of Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University.
The jury's statement:
All over the world, children live with chronic conditions such as severe allergies, asthma, type 1 diabetes
and epilepsy. These conditions require daily medication, monitoring, and vigilance, and
can negatively impact quality of life.
This year’sscholarship recipient, Hannah Lohk, has, together with her team, developed Medsbag – a smart backpack
for children and parents of children with chronic illnesses. The backpack holds the child’s medication and
information about it, as well as about the child and their medical condition. Through a speaker, the
medical action plan, recorded by the child’s parent with instructions on what to do in an
emergency, can be played back in an emergency. Medsbag has sold its first bags to a customer and has also
crowdfunded bags for those in needin Ukraine. The team is also working todevelopan app to
create a community for individuals and families in similar situations, with the ability to
share information. Through Medsbag, the founders demonstrate the potential to make life easier but also
provide security for children with chronic illnesses, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and
equal society.
[su_youtube url="https://youtu.be/9uhD1fLlKis"]
Read more about the Göran Bredinger Scholarship here.
Read more about Medsbag here.