iCog wins Rep. Michael McCaul’s 2022 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’s 10th District

When asked what inspired the creation of iCog, the student said, ”According to the World Health Organization, there are around 55 million people who have a dementia related illness. This number is only rising and is estimated to reach 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. I was motivated to create this app after witnessing my grandfather’s struggles with dementia, particularly in receiving an accurate diagnosis. Just like my grandfather, a majority of people struggling with dementia live in developing countries with low income and a lack of access to proper medical facilities. Even worse, there are an estimated 41 million cases of dementia around the world that are undiagnosed, with over 90% of projected dementia cases undiagnosed in low-middle income countries. The lack of a proper diagnoses can be attributed to three main factors. First is a lack of access to medical facilities due to their prohibitive cost and limited access, especially in developing areas.
Second is the medical facilities that are available are overwhelmed and experience lots of delays, leading many to give up before they receive the medical help they need. Third is the main culprit – the stigma associated with visiting a doctor due to a lack of understanding and public awareness of  the disease. Around 1 in 3 people believe that nothing can be done about dementia. Many are unwilling to acknowledge that they have a problem. They refuse to seek help. This is a major problem as a diagnosis especially an early one, is key to taking action, in the right step, before it is too late.”