Clement Okoh has recounted how a misdiagnosis in a Lagos hospital in 2017 left him paralysed and later inspired the creation of an artificial intelligence driven healthcare platform. Okoh said he initially presented with what doctors believed was a muscle strain, but within hours he lost the ability to walk. The condition was later confirmed as aggressive multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that had already damaged his spine.
He was subsequently flown to the United States, where specialists at Johns Hopkins Hospital carried out emergency surgery to remove the tumour and stabilise his spine. Doctors warned he might never walk again, but he eventually regained mobility after intensive treatment and rehabilitation.
Following his recovery, Okoh founded Monte Sereno Health in 2021 to address systemic gaps in healthcare delivery across Africa. The platform focuses on improving primary care through data driven tools that support diagnosis and continuous patient management, targeting a system where fragmented records and limited access to information often affect clinical decisions.
Health experts say such gaps are widespread. A 2021 report by the World Health Organization found that many African countries lack reliable health data systems, while studies indicate that a significant share of serious conditions are misdiagnosed at first contact. Okoh said his experience reflects broader structural challenges, noting that limited data, weak coordination, and reliance on individual clinical judgment continue to shape outcomes across the healthcare system.