#14: African HealthTech - Emerging opportunities for technology to provide better, faster & cheaper health care across Africa

Afrobility: Africa Tech & Business

Overview: Today, we’re going to talk about the opportunity for technology to make a difference in African healthcare. We'll start with the context of health in Africa, deepdive into health verticals and African companies, investigate Health Tech in other developing countries & how technology can help. This episode was recorded on Oct 18, 2020.

Companies discussed: Babyl, MobiHealth, mPharma, BIMA, Helium Health, Ilara Health, Zipline, Life Bank, 54gene, MTN Ayo, Ping An Good Doctor, Dr. Consulta, Practo & PharmEasy

Business concepts discussed: Healthcare technology, African Access stack, Health care coverage, Health insurance, Health platforms & Public policy.

Conversation highlights:

• (01:40) - Central role of Health care to economic development
• (03:40) - Africa’s under-resourced and under-staffed healthcare system statistics
• (11:50) - Health care challenges in African countries
• (15:55) - Healthcare verticals by target customers: Patients, Payers, Providers, Manufacturers, Distributors & others
• (17:10) - Companies in Africa HealthTech across verticals
• (41:06) - Health tech in non-Africa emerging markets
• (53:00) - What’s needed to spur HealthTech innovation across African markets
• (55:04) - New business models and innovation for Africa HealthTech
• (58:10) - Potential business models for African healthcare providers
• (1:01:10) - Lessons from other governments
• (1:06:50) - Olumide’s thoughts overall outlook
• (1:07:50) - Bankole’s thoughts & overall outlook
• (1:13:50) - Recommendations, small wins & open questions

Olumide:

• Recommendations: The Halo Effect, The Little Book of Lykke & Paired app
• Small win: Watched video of professor telling colleague they had won the Nobel Prize (really nice)
• Small win: Watched Paystack CEO video about Stripe acquisition. Made me so happy. Biggest exit for young technical African founders?
• Other: World Bank database & Zipline mechanics
• Question: How can we balance impact of health tech between the private & public sector?
• Special thanks: Aisha Kasali & Nour Sharara

Bankole:

• Recommendations: How to get promoted & How Normal Am I?
• Small win: Working out more thanks to my Whoop band
• Other: Africa Renewal - UN, Ping’An Good Doctor article & India Health Blueprint
• Question: Can Africa have a step change in healthcare outcomes without govt involvement?

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