African Health Tech Companies are pushing the boundaries of what traditional access to healthcare should look like and we are loving it. This is because for the longest time, access to quality and affordable healthcare seems to have remained an uphill battle on the African continent. This challenge not only poses physical limitations of the capacity of her people but also poses socio-economic hurdles, especially for vulnerable populations at the base of the pyramid.
The repercussions sweeps across communities in the form of higher mortality rates, and a population with a higher burden of preventable diseases. These factors not only influence individual health outcomes but also, the economic prosperity of the people. A scarcity of healthcare facilities coupled with a mass exodus of the continent’s best and brightest only throws a wrench into an already devastating situation.
To solve these issues, there is an urgent need to reinvent healthcare delivery by harnessing technology to create a more inclusive and efficient healthcare sector. In an ideal world, access to good health care should be among basic amenities.
The good news is that technology can help solve and is helping to address some of the constraints plaguing the healthcare sector.
Telemedicine, for example, makes remote consultations possible, bypassing geographical boundaries and enabling access to medical experts no matter where you are. This is an approach that is not only already being adopted in places like the United Kingdom but also on African soil.
Individuals can be empowered by mobile health applications with information on preventive care, symptoms, and treatment alternatives, encouraging a culture of proactive health management.
An even better news is that some of these innovations are being championed by amazing African women who are re-writing the story of Africa’s healthcare system, one solution at a time. In today’s roundup we bring you 11 women owned-health tech startups worth celebrating.
Health Tech Startups Run by African Women
1. ChilGroup
Why we love them: Chilgroup is a telemedicine company that addresses the challenge of limited healthcare resources on the continent by creating an interconnected network of rural clinics, school sickbays, partner specialized hospitals in North America, the Middle East, and Europe.
This model ensures that they are able to provide comprehensive and technology-driven healthcare solutions to the region. We think they rock!
2. Whispa Health
Why we love them: Sexual education is a topic most African parents tend to shy away from as societal norms have almost made this a taboo to discuss in the open. WHISPA, through their mobile application, is providing quality general and sexual health education, private or anonymous telemedicine consultations to users.
They also provide contraceptive counselling, and an affordable way to book general hospital appointments, contraceptive appointments, cervical cancer screening and vaccination, and more to young people.
3. Erith Health
Why we love them: Erith is prioritizing the welfare of caregivers. Based in Accra, the company focuses on providing comprehensive Personal Protective Equipment to healthcare workers to ward against infectious diseases and workplace hazards.
Additionally, they are known for providing organizations with organizations with products and services that help protect their patients and staff from the risks associated with handling cancer medications.
4. Natal Cares
Why we love them: Natal Cares addresses maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria by utilizing mobile technology, machine learning, and low-cost innovation. The company provides mental health support, medical monitoring, and emergency services to at-risk pregnant women and vulnerable children in underserved communities, advocating for improved access to healthcare at primary healthcare centers.
This means that a lesser number of vulnerable women fall prey to superstitions and fables regarding pregnancy and child birth. Information is power!
5. Mumspring
Why we love them: Mumspring is a healthtech platform built by a woman for women. It is leveraging I to make to make healthcare more accessible through their flagship solution – Agnes, a multi-lingual virtual midwife. We love it when technology meets social impact.
6. Lifebank
Why we love them: Lifebank, asides being a one-stop shop for medical supplies, is pioneering innovations in the African Healthcare space as they employ cutting-edge technologies, such as blockchain-powered records and drone deliveries, to enhance hospital efficiency.
Their in-house platform QUIP – is an application that offer hospitals free equipment maintenance tools, facilitating inventory management, repair quotes, maintenance scheduling, amongst others services.
7. Uteroo
Why we love them: Uteroo is a period tracker mobile application that helps users keep track of their period. It provides features that enable users easily document their symptoms, predict when the next period is due, and predict ovulation. With an intuitive, clutter-free user interface, simplicity is definitely key here.
8. Zoie Health
Why we love them: It is quite an inclusive platform as it provides everything from helping you book virtual consultations with doctors, lactation consultants or dieticians to offering you a range of health supplements. Irrespective of your location, you can have your medications delivered to you, get breastfeeding support and access a plethora of health resources from medical experts.
9. Clafiya
Why we love them: Clafiya, meaning “community wellness,” addresses challenges in accessing primary healthcare in Nigeria. They are a great example of how USSD codes can be utilized to create social impact in rural communities.
It is a platform that ensures fast, affordable primary care as a basic right. Their goal is to build networks fostering primary health resilience at the population level by adapting programs to individual health needs and optimizing resources. They describe themselves as a digital healthcare organization providing people with affordable and accessible healthcare right from their comfort zones.
10. Quro Medical
Why we love them: South African-based healthtech company – Quro medical is changing the face of healthcare through tailored approaches aimed at providing the most value to all their user groups. The company offers Africa’s first tech-driven Hospital at Home solution – a servicer that analyses real-time data to monitor patient health, thereby reducing patients exposure to secondary infections. We think this is awesome!
Did you love this list? Let us know if you would love to be featured in our business stories series by sending us an email. We would love to get to know more about you and share your awesome work with our readers.
