A 32-year-old Mozambican pharmacist has created an artificial intelligence platform that helps patients locate medicines, compare prices and check availability across pharmacies — with more than 200 already registered on the system in Nampula, in northern Mozambique.
Alexandre Cobre, a university lecturer originally from Nampula, said the platform addresses a common but overlooked problem: medicine that is available but cannot be found due to a lack of information. “Sometimes medicine is available, but people can’t find it because of a lack of information,” he told Lusa.
The platform, called Muzi AI and developed by MozBioMed, began three years ago with a team of locally trained young people. It allows patients to chat directly with pharmacists, send photos of prescriptions and receive immediate responses about medicine availability. The app aims to ease public suffering by providing real-time information on the nearest and cheapest pharmacies for those seeking medication, and will be free to all users.
“As a scientist, a Mozambican and a pharmacist, what motivated me was seeing the suffering of the public,” Cobre said.
Beyond the citizen-facing component, the platform also serves pharmacies, offering intelligent systems for stock management, customer reception and the organization of consumption data. “It’s not just an app; it’s a complete artificial intelligence ecosystem. In fact, the first of its kind in Mozambique,” Cobre said, noting that the 200 registered pharmacies represent a significant figure given the system has only been operational for a few days. All data collected through the AI system is processed anonymously and could serve as strategic support for health authorities.
The platform’s official launch is scheduled for July at Nampula Central Hospital — a venue Cobre said is set to become a symbol of digital transformation in the health sector.
Cobre is also testing a separate platform, called Mali AI, that detects counterfeit banknotes via a mobile phone photograph. Developed as part of scientific workshops organized by the Bank of Mozambique, the system currently recognizes only 500-metical and 1,000-metical notes. It is intended to help vulnerable groups frequently affected by counterfeit currency, including mobile wallet operators, informal vendors and transport workers. “These people work all day and sometimes end up being cheated by a counterfeit note,” he said. The app will also allow citizens to report suspicious cases directly to the central bank, feeding into a national statistical monitoring system.
Across both Mali AI and Muzi AI, Cobre works with other young Mozambicans and encourages the development of pioneering AI systems. “Young people have talent, but often lack guidance and opportunity,” he said.
