Relay & Fio to Deploy Fionet Platform Through USAID in 144 Remote Community-Based Healthcare Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rhea-AI Summary

Relay Medical Corp. (RYMDF) and Fio Corporation have secured a sales agreement with the U.S. Government through USAID to deploy the Fionet Platform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to combat malaria. This agreement identifies 144 health sites to utilize Fionet's connected devices and AI software. USAID, a leading aid agency, allocates a significant portion of its budget for malaria intervention. The Fionet system has demonstrated superior accuracy in malaria case tracking compared to conventional methods, showcasing its potential for broader deployment across central Africa.

Positive

• Sales agreement with USAID to deploy Fionet in 144 DRC health sites.
• Fionet's superior accuracy in tracking malaria cases compared to traditional systems.
• Potential for expanded deployment in central Africa beyond initial 144 clinics.

Negative

• None.

TORONTO, Aug. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relay Medical Corp. (“Relay” or the “Company”) (CSE: RELA, OTC: RYMDF, Frankfurt: EIY2) and Fio Corporation (“Fio”) - together through their joint venture, Fionet Rapid Response Group (“FRR”) – is pleased to report on the previously announced sales agreement with the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (“USAID”)¹, to deploy FRR’s Fionet Platform (“Fionet”) to fight a malaria pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). USAID and FRR have identified the first 144 remote community-based health sites to receive the medical platform which combines point-of-care, connected handheld devices, and AI-powered data software services.

With a budget of nearly US$20 billion per year², USAID is the largest aid agency in the world and accounts for more than half of all U.S. foreign assistance. USAID is responsible for a third³ of the US$3 billion spent globally on fighting the malaria pandemic. There are over 200 million cases of malaria per year. Malaria kills over 400,000 people annually, of whom two thirds are children under the age of 5. DRC has the world’s second highest number of malaria cases and deaths⁴.

“Our Fionet Platform is a valuable tool against many outbreaks such as malaria and COVID-19,” said Dr Michael Greenberg, CEO of FRR. “USAID has subscribed for a year of Fionet deployment in 144 clinics, representing only 2% of the 6,000 clinics that USAID supports in the DRC. USAID is assessing the platform’s contribution to accurate testing, triage, tracking, and aggregation of frontline data. Malaria respects no borders and once the Fionet Platform is deployed, operational, and producing results, we expect to deploy Fionet throughout central Africa. We are working closely with the team at USAID to upgrade data collection and aggregation and to provide actionable insights in real time - essential to effective allocation of resources and containment of the outbreak’s terrible death and disease toll.”

USAID chose FRR through a competitive process that evaluated robust alternatives and was impressed that the Fionet Platform devices showed malaria positivity rates substantially more accurately than conventional data systems suggesting a systemic breakdown in conventional data capture, which Fionet remedies. Subsequent scientific analysis has supported the accuracy of Fionet results and led to further deployment to solve the data challenge in clinics not currently equipped with the Fionet Platform. Fionet’s accuracy, data capture and distribution capability was also demonstrated in a paper published in a technical journal by U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency⁵.

The DRC is an important country in central Africa. It has a population of more than 90 million people and a landmass that is half the size of the whole European Union. It is vital for its mining industry and mineral reserves producing over 70% of the world’s supply of cobalt (essential for lithium batteries, jet and turbine engines, and medical treatments) as well as substantial supply of copper, diamond, tantalum, tin and gold. The DRC also plays an important geo-strategic role as it borders nine countries and is at the crossroads of African economic development.

Fionet Mobile Devices support frontline testing, and continuously capture and transmit comprehensive data to a centralized aggregation point. In real time, Fionet Portals allow off-site supervisors to track and direct frontline action, displaying accurate epidemiological information and providing actionable insights. A recently published medical research paper demonstrated that Fionet’s quality was comparable to expert lab technicians⁶.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fionet was successfully used to test and track over one million patients in remote settings around the world for infectious diseases including malaria, HIV and dengue fever.

The Fionet Platform was most recently deployed for rapid COVID-19 testing in Canada’s largest international airport. Ongoing testing engagements include COVID-19 rapid testing with LifeLabs throughout Canada.

The Company announces that it has granted an aggregate of 2,500,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company at $0.25 per common share and expiring five (5) years from the date of grant, to certain officers, directors and consultants of the Company.

SUBSCRIBE: For more information on Relay or to subscribe to the Company’s mail list visit: https://www.relaymedical.com/news

About USAID

USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience.

About Fionet

The Fionet Platform is an end-to-end, rapid testing and tracking solution for community-based or decentralized settings. Combining a fast, handheld point-of-need device connected in real time to cloud data services, the Fionet Platform handles scheduling and registration via phone app for at home, on-site check-in and rapid on-the-spot universal antigen testing. The platform allows for data integration with other testing methods and devices, providing result notification for patient and public health authorities as appropriate, and anonymized data and statistics for dashboards for authorized stakeholders.

Website: www.fionetrapidresponse.com

About Relay Medical Corp.

Relay Medical is a technology innovator headquartered in Toronto, Canada focused on the development of novel solutions in the diagnostics and AI data science and IoT security sectors.

Website: www.relaymedical.com

Contact:
Destine Lee
Media & Communications
Relay Medical Corp.
Office. 647-872-9982
TF. 1-844-247-6633
Media Inquiries: media@relaymedical.com
Investor Relations: investor.relations@relaymedical.com

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement
Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law.   Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur.   Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE.  There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company’s control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the technology described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law.  The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.  Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company’s filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com

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¹ https://www.usaid.gov/
² https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1881/FY2021_Budget_FactSheet.pdf
³ World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria
⁴ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria   
⁵ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180418300412
⁶ BMC Infectious Diseases, 2020 https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-4932-0 

FAQ

What is the sales agreement between Relay Medical Corp. and USAID?

Relay Medical Corp. has entered into a sales agreement with USAID to deploy the Fionet Platform in 144 health sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How does the Fionet Platform help in combating malaria?

The Fionet Platform utilizes connected devices and AI software to improve malaria case tracking and data accuracy, significantly enhancing response efforts.

What is the significance of the deployment in the DRC?

The deployment targets a region with a high incidence of malaria, where improved data capture can help allocate resources effectively and reduce mortality rates.

What are the expected outcomes of Fionet's deployment?

The expected outcomes include improved testing accuracy and data collection, leading to better resource allocation in combating malaria.

How does the Fionet Platform compare to traditional data capture systems?

Fionet has demonstrated significantly more accurate malaria positivity rates than conventional data systems, addressing a systemic breakdown in traditional methods.