Salient Advisory studies innovations in health tech across the African continent. This newsletter summarizes the most interesting news we read each month. Submissions are welcome. Feel free to share.
Government agencies in Nigeria partner with innovators to improve primary healthcare access
Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency is partnering with eHealth Africa to pilot Planfeld, a digital microplanning tool, across six Nigerian states (Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara). Previously implemented in Borno state for malaria chemoprevention and immunization campaigns, Planfeld is designed to streamline the planning of polio vaccination and routine immunization activities. By reducing the time required for microplanning activities from four days to under 30 minutes, the tool is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of vaccination programs.
At the subnational level, the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency has signed an agreement with EHA Clinics to improve primary healthcare services in the state. The partnership aims to drive universal healthcare access in the State, leverage expertise and management services from EHA Clinics, and collaborate on healthcare improvement strategies. EHA Clinics, operates a network of digitally-enabled primary healthcare clinics, delivering services through in-person consultations, telemedicine, and medication delivery.
Innovators unveil new open-source language models to drive the growth of local AI interventions
Jacaranda Health announced the expansion of its open-source Large Language Model (LLM), UlizaLlama, to include more African languages and support maternal health interventions in Africa. The multi-lingual model now includes five African languages (Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, Xhosa, Zulu), and has been integrated into Jacaranda Health’s SMS and AI-based digital health assistant platform, PROMPTS. Based in Kenya, Jacaranda Health provides digital maternal health services to women in underserved communities partly by leveraging chatbot solutions powered by natural language processing technologies trained in multiple African languages.
In Nigeria, HelpMum Africa launched Vax-Llama-1, an open-source LLM, to expand access to reliable vaccination information. The model leverages data from the company’s database of vaccination-related queries and responses from its vaccination chatbot and is set to advance access to accurate vaccination information. Founded in 2019, HelpMumAfrica aims to tackle maternal and infant mortality across urban and rural communities.
Innovators forge partnerships to improve health insurance coverage for healthcare services
MyTherapist.ng, a Nigerian mental health tech company partnered with WellaHealth, a micro-health insurance provider, to offer its corporate customers access to health insurance plans for physical and mental health services. Founded in 2021, MyTherapist.ng aims to increase access to mental healthcare services across Nigeria.
In South Africa, RecoMed, an online booking platform, partnered with Kaelo Health, a low-cost health insurance provider, to reduce self-care costs, improve consultation efficiency, and simplify access to virtual healthcare. Following a funding round from Japanese pharmaceutical company, Eisai earlier this year, RecoMed has also established partnerships with two other healthcare financial service providers, DiscoveryVitality and Bankmed. RecoMed’s platform connects patients with 3,000+ clinics and doctors on its platform and facilitates over 250,000 patient visits and 100,000 bookings monthly.
Innovators secure investment and support from investors and accelerator programs
Bena Care, a Kenyan home care startup secured an undisclosed investment from Madiro to scale up its affordable and innovative healthcare delivery model. Founded in 2016, Bena Care specializes in providing home care services, including clinical and supportive care, to chronically ill patients, and has impacted nearly 15,000 patients.
EnvoyX, an Ivorian healthcare payment and insurance startup, received an undisclosed investment from the Baobab Network. This marks Baobab’s first investment in Côte d’Ivoire. Founded in 2023, EnvoyX leverages AI-powered solutions to streamline and facilitate payment processing within the healthcare sector.
Lifesten Health, a Rwandan health tech startup, was selected as part of the 10 startups to join the eighth cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program. The program supports African startups in scaling their operations, with a strong focus on advancing AI-powered solutions. Founded in 2021, Lifesten Health uses gamification elements to encourage healthier behaviors and prevent non-communicable diseases.
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