A greater number of startups in sub-Saharan Africa are offering telemedicine services, spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing digital adoption across the continent. But a lack of “clear and harmonized” regulation is preventing the industry from taking off, according to a new report on health innovation in the region. Telemedicine, combined with direct-to-consumer distribution, is the most common type of service offered by health innovators founded in the last five years, says the report by Salient Advisory, a global healthcare consulting firm. The researchers surveyed 61 companies in sub-Saharan African, focusing on Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda. The companies are all using tech-enabled solutions to change how health products are distributed. This is more than twice the number of companies Salient Advisory tracked for its last report in 2019.
SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA