About SHINE
A health research and innovation enterprise built in Cameroon for Africa
Founded in Buea in 2019, SHINE trains health researchers, produces evidence for policy and practice, and builds digital tools that connect patients with care across sub-Saharan Africa.
Who we are
SHINE is a private limited health enterprise registered under OHADA law and headquartered in Buea, in the South West Region of Cameroon. It was founded by Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek, a physician and digital health specialist, to close a gap he saw in his own practice: African health systems generate enormous amounts of clinical experience but too little of it is turned into published evidence, and too few of the tools patients need to find and pay for care are built for the settings where they live.
SHINE answers both problems under one roof. Sintieh Research Academy, the research arm, has trained more than 1,000 health professionals in research methods since 2019 and supports institutions with study design, data collection, analysis and manuscript preparation. MedAccess, the healthcare access platform, lists more than 1,000 hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies and lets patients book consultations and pay by mobile money. Field programmes such as NCD Cameroon put both to work in communities, screening thousands of people for hypertension and diabetes.
SHINE works with ministries of health, universities, hospitals, foundations and technology partners in Cameroon and across sub-Saharan Africa, and publishes its results in peer-reviewed journals, including BMJ Heart.
Mission, vision and values
Mission
To deliver context-specific innovation, capacity building and health system strengthening, bridging the gap between science and practical healthcare in Africa.
Vision
Health systems transformed through locally driven research and digital innovation, creating healthier and more equitable communities in Cameroon, across sub-Saharan Africa and globally.
Values
Honesty in every result we report. Humility, because there is always more to learn. Discipline in method and delivery. Productivity, measured in trained researchers, published papers and patients reached.
About SHINE in brief
This page is about SHINE, Sintieh Health and Innovation Enterprise. Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek founded SHINE in Buea, Cameroon, in 2019. He is a physician and digital health specialist. He had seen the same problem many times: clinicians with good questions, and no route to turn them into evidence. Sintieh Research Academy was his first response. MedAccess followed, because field studies showed that patients could not find or afford the care that the evidence recommended.
About SHINE: what we do
We work on three fronts. First, we train health professionals in research methods, data analysis and scientific writing. Second, we carry out research for hospitals, ministries, NGOs and funders, from protocol to publication. Third, we build and run digital tools, chiefly the MedAccess platform. Consequently, a partner can commission a study, train its staff and reach patients through one organisation.
About SHINE: how we work
Every study has a written protocol, a named principal investigator and a partner who needs the answer. We collect data with REDCap, ODK or KoboToolbox. Then we analyse it in STATA, R, SPSS or NVivo, and we report to the partner as well as to a journal. Authorship follows the ICMJE criteria. Similarly, we publish testimonials only with consent, and we handle personal data as the privacy notice describes.
More about SHINE
Read about the divisions, browse the publications library, or contact SHINE in Buea. For funders and institutions, the partnerships page explains how an engagement starts.
How to reach us
You can write to info@shineltd.org at any time. Alternatively, call +237 680 338 598 during office hours, Monday to Friday. We reply within two working days. In addition, partnership and funding enquiries go to partner@shineltd.org, so that the right person answers. Questions about about SHINE are welcome.
Related pages
For example, the publications library lists peer-reviewed work by year and topic. Similarly, the programmes page describes current field programmes and courses. Finally, news and insight carries announcements and programme notes from SHINE and its divisions.
A note on our standards
First, every study has a written protocol and ethical approval before data collection. Second, we report results to the partner as well as to a journal. Third, testimonials appear only with the person’s consent. As a result, partners can rely on what SHINE publishes, and readers can check every claim against its source.
What SHINE does
Three lines of work that reinforce each other: the academy produces researchers and evidence, the platform produces access and data, and the programmes produce results in communities.
Research training, mentorship and consulting
SRA runs an eight-week research methodology course, a four-week R programming bootcamp, two-week data analysis workshops, a twelve-week continuing professional education course with the University of Washington, and a year-long one-to-one mentorship programme that takes a clinician from research question to published paper.
For institutions, SRA provides data collection with REDCap, ODK and KoboToolbox, proposal and grant writing, analysis in STATA, SPSS, R and NVivo, manuscript writing and systematic reviews, and on-site research methods training.
A healthcare access platform built for Cameroon
MedAccess is a directory and booking platform with more than 1,000 hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies. Patients search by location, specialty, name or test, book consultations and home visits, and pay with MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, bank transfer or card. Providers list their services, publish availability and manage referrals through the doctor app.
The platform is in beta on Android, with a pilot in the South West Region and a healthcare credit scheme in development.
Field programmes that reach people where they are
NCD Cameroon screens communities for hypertension and diabetes and follows up people at risk with digital tools; the 2023 Hypertension Awareness campaign reached more than 5,000 people. Impact Medics brings clinical teams and SRA fellows to rural areas for outreach and screening. Make Them Smile Outreach delivers care and supplies to underserved communities.
Every programme is designed as a study as well as a service, so that what is learned is published and can inform district and national health strategies.
Tell us what you need. We reply within two working days, hold a fifteen to thirty minute discovery call, and send a scoped proposal within five days.
Our history
From a rural access initiative and a training hub to one organisation with two divisions and a third in development.
- 2015MedAccess begins as an initiative to improve access to care in rural Cameroon.
- 2019SHINE and Sintieh Research Academy are founded in Buea by Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek to address the research capacity gap among healthcare professionals.
- 2021SRA passes 500 trainees across several African countries.
- 20231,000 researchers trained. The Hypertension Awareness campaign screens more than 5,000 people. SRA's founder publishes in BMJ Heart.
- 2025SRA is integrated into SHINE as its research arm. MedAccess pilots in the South West Region with more than 1,000 facilities listed.
- 2026SHINE HUB, an integrated digital health and research platform, enters development.
Why organisations choose SHINE
- Local presence in Cameroon with regional reach across sub-Saharan Africa
- Research and delivery under one governance structure
- Published, peer-reviewed outputs rather than internal reports alone
- Digital tools already deployed with real facilities and patients
- Clear response times: two working days to reply, five days to a proposal
Leadership and team
SHINE is led by its founder and a small core team, with a wider network of research fellows, clinicians and technologists engaged by project.
Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek
Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek is a physician, digital health specialist and PhD candidate at the University of Oxford. He founded SHINE, Sintieh Research Academy and MedAccess in Buea, Cameroon. Today he leads strategy and innovation across all SHINE divisions.
Research by Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek
He is lead author of a 2025 scoping review in Heart (BMJ) on mobile health for cardiovascular care in Africa. His work asks how digital tools and locally trained researchers can improve care in health systems with limited resources. See the publications library.
Roles of Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek
Founder and Chief Executive of SHINE. In addition, founder of Sintieh Research Academy and MedAccess. His profile is also on sra.shineltd.org.
How to reach us
You can write to info@shineltd.org at any time. Alternatively, call +237 680 338 598 during office hours, Monday to Friday. We reply within two working days. In addition, partnership and funding enquiries go to partner@shineltd.org, so that the right person answers. Questions about Dr E Sintieh Nchinda Ngek are welcome.
Related pages
For example, the publications library lists peer-reviewed work by year and topic. Similarly, the programmes page describes current field programmes and courses. Finally, news and insight carries announcements and programme notes from SHINE and its divisions.
A note on our standards
First, every study has a written protocol and ethical approval before data collection. Second, they report results to the partner as well as to a journal. Third, testimonials appear only with the person's consent. As a result, partners can rely on what SHINE publishes, and readers can check every claim against its source.
Core team
What our laureates say
Join a programme"SRA is a place where your growth is their priority. They aim at building a sustainable scientific community that can think out of the box and take the actions needed to change the world with an idea."
"At SRA, hidden skills of critical and analytical thinking were triggered within me. As the course progressed I could appraise the components and steps of the research topics presented on ideation days."
"Humility, honesty, discipline and productivity, the core values SRA upholds, were one of the motivations that kept me going even when it seemed tough. It has been a rewarding experience."
Registration and reports
Sintieh Health and Innovation Enterprise Ltd is a private limited health enterprise registered under OHADA law in Cameroon. Registration number: [FIGURE].
Head office: Ub Street 2, opposite Cité Ninos Annex, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon.
Governance documents and annual reports are published here as they are released.
Documents
- Articles of Association (PDF)To be added
- Strategic plan (PDF)To be added
- Annual report (PDF)To be added
- SRA course brochure (PDF)To be added
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions we are asked most. For anything else, contact us and we reply within two working days.
What does SHINE stand for?
SHINE is Sintieh Health and Innovation Enterprise, a health research and innovation organisation founded in Buea, Cameroon, in 2019.
How are SHINE, Sintieh Research Academy and MedAccess related?
SHINE is the parent organisation. Sintieh Research Academy is its research arm and MedAccess is its healthcare access platform. Both operate as divisions of SHINE with their own websites, sra.shineltd.org and medaccess.shineltd.org.
Where does SHINE work?
SHINE is headquartered in Buea, Cameroon, and works across sub-Saharan Africa. SRA trainees come from five African countries and courses are delivered online.
Is SHINE a non-profit or a company?
SHINE is a private limited health enterprise registered under OHADA law. Sintieh Research Academy operates as a research institution within it. Programmes are funded through partnerships, consulting and grants.
How can my organisation work with SHINE?
Write to partner@shineltd.org or use the partnership enquiry form. We reply within two working days, hold a short discovery call, and send a scoped proposal within five days.
Work with SHINE
We answer enquiries within two working days. Discovery calls take fifteen to thirty minutes, and a scoped proposal follows within five.