For decades, the world has waited for the Africa Rising narrative to switch from promise to reality. We envision a future where Africans enjoy a high standard of living and functional health systems, and yet, this vision has remained just that—a dream perpetually around the corner.
How do we bridge this gap? What stands in the way of us realising that dream?
Building Africa’s Future Through Healthcare Innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inefficiencies in Africa’s healthcare systems. Countries across the continent struggled with disruptions in medical equipment and drug supply chains. This was due to the fact that the earliest stages of those supply chains, like development and distribution, were outside of Africa and therefore outside our control.
The pandemic was a catalyst to make much needed improvements in health technology on the continent. Now, African entrepreneurs and governments must take this chance to rebuild.
Investing in innovative technology within the healthcare sector would be the foundation for the region’s success; a healthy population is essential to economic stability and improvement.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as 4IR, refers to the current global boom in modern technology. In an interconnected world, tech like AI, data analytics, and Cloud computing, are being shared across the globe and saving more lives than ever before. If Africa can position itself to participate in 4IR, we’ll begin to bridge the gap between vision and reality.
However, we must be strategic; the key is adopting relevant and scalable innovations needed for tackling challenges such as medical human capital shortages, medical supply and facility shortages, weak infrastructure and logistics.
Fortunately, these health innovations are already underway in Africa. Within a year of the pandemic, Africa accounted for 12.8% of global modifications to medical technologies to help prevent and treat the virus.
The Africa we dream of building depends on our continued stewardship of African resources, fostering innovation throughout the continent, and investing in African-led research. Accomplishing this will be no small task, but starting with the all-encompassing field of healthcare is the best place to begin.
