Because we track locally-driven innovations in health-tech across the African continent, we curate a monthly newsletter to share our most “salient” learnings in more real time. We welcome submissions and suggestions. | November 2023
Nigerian state governments and agencies are tapping up innovators’ solutions and expertise
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has partnered with mDoc, a telemedicine and personal health startup, to launch the Digital Mom Project, an online platform aimed at enhancing maternal health outcomes by increasing women’s access to healthcare services. Supported by funding from MSD for Mothers, the project will empower healthcare professionals to provide support to low to middle-income pregnant women and encourage positive health-seeking behaviours.
The Anambra State Insurance Agency is teaming up with WellaHealth, a health insurance startup, to accelerate enrolment levels in the state’s health insurance scheme, and drive wider health coverage for residents. Founded in 2014, WellaHealth has built a business model around micro-insurance solutions to provide users with more affordable health coverage, and reduce out-of-pocket payment barriers in accessing healthcare.
Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency is working with eHealth Africa to leverage its Geographic Information Systems to track and enhance local polio vaccination campaigns by mapping hard-to-reach communities and settlements to guide and broaden the reach health workers leading vaccination campaigns. The geospatial data-driven approach is delivering impressive results: 31,000 additional geo-coordinates for settlements were collected between May and September 2023 across six Nigerian states.
Uganda and DR Congo are adopting national digital health strategies
Uganda is moving forward with its National Health Information and Digital Health Strategic Plan to digitize local healthcare systems. The plan outlines a roadmap for leveraging digital technology to improve healthcare services across the country. The ministry is also proactively seeking to collaborate with promising local digital health innovators to support its ambitions to integrate technology in its healthcare delivery and management plans.
D.R Congo’s Ministry of Health launched its Digital Health Enterprise Architecture to facilitate the country’s digital transformation efforts with support from USAID, PATH, and other partners. The project’s core goals include improving health information management systems and digitizing medical records, to support evidence-based decision-making at national levels.
Promising innovators bagged seed stage funding―and a prestigious ecosystem award
Almouneer, an Egyptian health-tech startup helping users manage diabetes and obesity, raised $3.6 million in seed funding from investors including, Global Ventures, Proparco, Digital Africa, and Wrightwood Investments. The funding will be deployed to scale Almouneer’s solution across markets in the Middle East and Africa. The funding comes amid strong reported growth by Almouneer over the past year with the startup now serving over 120,000 patients through a network of hospitals and clinics in Egypt.
Cameroon-based telemedicine startup, Waspito secured a $2.5 million seed extension from Newton Partners, Saviu Ventures, AAIC Investment, Axian Ventures, and Health54 to fuel its growth in the Francophone Africa region. Founded in 2020, Waspito enables online consultations and medication delivery for users across Cameroon.
Dr Ikpeme Neto, founder of WellaHealth (Nigeria) was named the winner of the 2023 Africa Business Heroes Award, a flagship philanthropic programme established by the Jack Ma Foundation in recognition of excellent African entrepreneurs. The award, in recognition of WellaHealth’s impact in facilitating access to affordable healthcare services, comes with a share of the $1.5 million prize pool for the top ten finalists.
Innovators are doubling down on service offerings with new partnerships and products
Nivi, a digital health company that deploys a chatbot marketplace to provide personalized and interactive health information and support, is deepening its work in Kenya through two partnerships. It has partnered with Access Afya, a primary healthcare social enterprise with 14 clinics across Kenya, to enable Access Afya create and direct sexual health-related campaigns offering relevant and useful information to users and refer patients to its clinics. Nivi has also partnered with Ark Venture Studio’s Yubuntu Initiative to support APA Femina Plus, a program that offers access to regular screenings and HPV vaccinations for prevention and early detection of breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers for women. Nivi will aim to boost enrolment by powering referrals for the program and enabling users find and book appointments for vaccinations and checks.
Advantage Health Africa, an online pharmacy aggregator service, unveiled a comprehensive platform enabling pharmacies to streamline procurement, logistics, and inventory management. Based in Nigeria, Advantage Health Africa provides technology products and services to promote access to affordable and quality healthcare services and products on the continent.
Recommended Read
In this Devex op-ed Efosa Ojomo analyses the failures of USAID’s $9.5 billion health supply chain project—including the lack of participation from local innovators, and outlines how future planned projects can avoid similar missteps.
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