2nd Webinar Series
As Africa adapts to a new normal, partnerships in over-stretched health systems will continue to play an important role. The AHBS webinar series, themed “Partnerships for Resilient Health Systems” consisted of five sessions
discussing key opportunities that are at the center of change.
Partnerships for Resilient Health Systems in Africa
In 2019, private equity investments in healthcare amounted to $78.9 billion around the globe of which only 0.2% was invested in Africa.
The total private equity investments across all sectors in Africa amounted to $3.8 billion with 4% in healthcare.
Over 52% of healthcare services in Africa are provided by the private sector, a clear indicator of a thriving industry. The pandemic has given rise to opportunities in healthcare markets across the continent through the rapid adoption of digital health solutions, increase in local manufacturing to meet local needs and innovations around supply chain management to curb the global disruptions we have encountered.
Over 52% of healthcare services in Africa are provided by the private sector, a clear indicator of a thriving industry. The pandemic has given rise to opportunities in healthcare markets across the continent through the rapid adoption of digital health solutions, increase in local manufacturing to meet local needs and innovations around supply chain management to curb the global disruptions we have encountered.
UHC for Resilient Health Systems in Africa
Digital Health Session
Africa is the second most populated continent in the world, with over 1.2 billion people; it also has the youngest population. According to the African Economic Outlook Reports by the African Development Bank, Africa’s GDP growth is expected to be 3.9% on average from now until 2022. A healthy population yields more economic dividends due to a more productive workforce. Healthy children become productive adults. Our goal is to harness technology in order to realise this.
29th October, 2020
Session Speakers
Hila Azadzoy
Managing Director, Global Health Initiative, Ada Health
Paul Bhuhi
Group Board Advisor, BroadReach
Didier Nkurikiyimfura
Director of Technology & Innovation at the Smart Africa Secretariat
Melissa Menke
Founder and CEO, Access Afya
Robin Njiru
Business Lead-East Africa, Amazon Web Services
Ada Mwangola
Director Social & Political Pillars, Kenya Vision 2030
"There are so many great technologies out there. We can have the best technology, but if we’re not collaborating, especially with the public health sector where the majority of people in low- and middle-income countries are accessing care, these solutions and the potential impact will not be able to scale.."
Hila Azadzoy
Managing Director, Global Health Initiative, Ada Health
"We are keen as an organisation to support, partner with, and develop startups. Especially in the context of Africa we see a lot of niche SMEs and addressing local issues but with the inability to scale, so AWS is keen to form partnerships in the healthcare space to help with this.."
Robin Njiru
Business Lead-East Africa, Amazon Web Services
Healthcare Financing Session
While the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted significant strain on already overstretched health systems across the region, further affecting the delivery of other essential health services, a broader spectrum of stakeholders is now feeling the consequences of chronic underinvestment. The impact of the pandemic has demonstrated that every sector is dependent on the health system. The rising prominence of the healthcare sector has presented us with a unique opportunity to increase investments in health. To meet Africa’s growing demand for healthcare, almost $30 billion in new investment is needed within the sector.
5th November, 2020
Session Speakers
Dr. Amit N. Thakker
Executive Chairman, Africa Health Business
Kwasi Boahene
Director for Advocacy & West Africa, PharmAccess
Audrey Obara
Head of Healthcare Investments, Swedfund International AB
Shakir Merali
Partner LGT Lightstone
"As Swedfund, we want to provide investment in healthcare companies that are providing quality care. We use PharmAccess’s SafeCare program to assess the quality of care as well as to help us know how to support organisations through technical support, among other avenues."
Audrey Obara
Head of Healthcare Investments, Swedfund International AB
"What is becoming evident and what we’re looking to fund is the availability of the right kind of healthcare solutions that are Africanised, that deal with African problems and are not prescribed from abroad or are ivory tower based solutions..."
Shakir Merali
Partner, LGT Lightstone
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Session
COVID-19 has greatly disrupted our supply chains. The measures to contain the pandemic have triggered unprecedented measures by national governments that have caused local and global trade disruptions. This has threatened our supply chains not only for the management of COVID-19 itself, but also for all essential commodities that we need to maintain the health of our populations.With imports comprising as much as 70-90% of healthcare products consumed in most countries in Africa, it is important that we consider an increase in the local production of these products as a way to create stronger and more resilient healthcare systems.
12th November, 2020
Session Speakers
Dr. Amit N. Thakker
Executive Chairman, Africa Health Business
Chidinma Ifepe
Head of Buyer Management, Africa Medical Supplies Platform
Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma
Deputy Director, Africa CDC
Dr. Stavros Nicolaou
Group Senior Executive Strategic Trade, Aspen
Dr. Harald Nusser
Global Health expert
Yasmin Chandani
inSupply Health, CEO
"There is a great opportunity for manufacturers on the continent. We have great potential. The health market is over $250 billion, but local manufacturing is still extremely small. For drugs alone, we import something in the range of 90 to 95% of what we need. For equipment, it is even higher than that (in the 98% range), meaning that the opportunity for African manufacturers to step into this space is significant.."
Dr. E. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma
Deputy Director, Africa CDC
"Today, Africa has a population of about 1.3 billion, but tomorrow there's an estimate that it's going to be around 2.4 billion. The structures we have today are not enough to scale for our population size of tomorrow. ."
Chidinma Ifepe
Head of Buyer Management, Africa Medical Supplies Platform
Managing the Disease Burden Session
The secondary impact of COVID-19 in the African continent has been severe – children have not received their immunisations and the HIV, TB and malaria care has in some cases stalled and the disease burden has gone up. In addition, it is estimated that by 2021, 112 million people might be pushed into extreme poverty indirectly due to COVID-19 and therefore quick and decisive actions towards the prevention and against the spread are needed.
19th November, 2020
Session Speakers
Mr. Arpit Bansal
Country Director Sub Saharan Africa, AstraZeneca
Philana Mugyenyi
Manager SSA - Government Affairs & Public Policy, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Vinay Ransiwal
General Manager and Vice President
Steven Baard
Corporate Strategy and M&A, Ottobock
Dai Hozumi
Chief Technical Officer, IntraHealth
Maria Sol Pintos Castro
Senior Manager Private Sector Engagement Department, Global Fund
Dr. Iain Barton
Chief Executive Officer, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc.
Dr. Ademola Olajide
Representative Kenya, UNFPA
"Preventing future pandemics is about the way forward, how we are going to address global health security and is linked directly to health systems..."
Maria Sol Pintos Castro
Senior Manager Private Sector Engagement Department, The Global Fund
"Partnerships and collaboration are key to helping manage the disease burden, which is being directly and indirectly affected by lack of blood in Africa. ."
Philana Mugyenyi
Manager SSA - Government Affairs & Public Policy, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Human Resources for Health Session
The WHO reports that the world will be short of 12.9 million healthcare workers by 2035 if the issue is not addressed now. Available statistics show that over 40% of WHO member states report fewer than 10 medical doctors per 10,000 population, and over 26% report to have fewer than three medical doctors per 10,000. Additionally, healthcare workers are distributed unevenly across the globe. Countries with the lowest relative need have the highest number of health workers, while those with the greatest burden of disease have a much smaller workforce. For example, the African region suffers more than 22% of the global burden of disease, but has access to only 3% of healthcare workers and less than 1% of the world’s financial resources.
26th November, 2020
Session Speakers
Ghazi Darghouth
President, Tunisia Health Alliance
Nyawira Njeru
Head Market Access & Government Affairs, Hologic
Marjorie Mbule
Senior Programme Lead, Mothers2Mothers
Polly Dunford
President and CEO, IntraHealth
Frank Loeffler
General Manager, Roche East Africa
Dr. Elizabeth Wala
KEPSA Director, Health and Social Sectors
Kate Tulenko
Corvus Health, Founder
"What we often see is that the public sector trains enough workers to meet its needs but then they often get hired by the private sector, leaving government facilities short-staffed...."
Dr. Kate Tulenko
Founder, Corvus Health
"Mentorship is also extremely important. What if we pair student health workers with private sector mentors while they're still in training so that they can see from the very beginning the possibilities included in health worker career? They should know that they can work in the public sector or private sector, and learn these private sector approaches, which are important no matter where they end up working...."
Polly Dunford
President & CEO, IntraHealth
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