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Long neglected by multinational institutions, climate health is gaining greater attention from major stakeholders. The World Health Organization and the African Union have rejuvenated a joint commitment to addressing climate-related health challenges. An MoU targets local pharmaceutical production, disease prevention, nutrition and more.
Regulatory harmonisation and domestic manufacturing, which could lower barriers for African pharmaceutical companies to produce medicines locally, are getting a boost. This may enhance industry capacity, reduce reliance on imports and open up regional markets.
Strengthening domestic health financing and digital health infrastructure can stimulate demand for healthcare services, technologies, and workforce development, thus providing growth opportunities for local providers and suppliers.
Our take: Africa needs major continental and global institutions to support the growing focus on climate health…Read more (2 min)
In our monthly overview of investor activity we see several new venture capital deals directed towards online pharmacies that provide authentic, high-quality medicines across the continent. Access to essential, affordable and high-quality medicines remains a persistent challenge for millions in Africa, despite a global consensus on their importance.
In May, the most visible healthcare venture funding in Africa was online pharmacies that leverage digital platforms to distribute health supplies efficiently, serving as intermediaries and retailers. They connect remote and underserved communities with essential medicines, improving access in geographically and medically marginalised areas.
Among those funded in May are myDawa, Platos Health, iSupply, Aura, Impulse Biomedical and Kapsule. Additionally, Sora Technology received funding to enhance its malaria eradication programme using drones and AI (please see separate story below).
Our take: Online pharmacies are tackling long-standing barriers to medicine access in Africa that are likely to get worse in the era of climate change…Read more (2 min)
SORA Technology, a Japan-based startup focused on infectious disease control and climate resilience in Africa, has raised $4.8 million in a late-seed funding round that mixes equity and debt. SORA is pouring funds into drone-led malaria control efforts in Africa as well as improving work on AI for disease prediction.
The combination of AI and drones in African healthcare can significantly improve access to essential services in remote areas. Drones are capable of delivering medications, vaccines, and blood products, while AI enhances operational efficiency in areas such as supply chain management and disease surveillance.
Drones can reach remote communities with critical supplies, while artificial intelligence optimises delivery routes, predicts demand, and improves resource allocation. Together, they create more efficient supply chains and enhance disease surveillance by tracking outbreaks, monitoring vectors, and identifying high-risk areas for targeted action.
Our take: Research by Georgetown University in 2024 indicates that malaria's range in sub-Saharan Africa has expanded due to rising temperatures. A British study estimated in 2020 that climate change could expose an additional 126 million people to malaria in Africa…Read more (2 min)
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The World Health Organization, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Koch Institute and the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom have partnered to expand the Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance programme to seven countries in Africa.
Events
🗓️ Join the European Clinical Trials Partnership Forum (June 20)
🗓️ Attend the Africa Health Business Symposium in Nigeria (July 16)
🗓️ Participate in the World Health Expo in Kenya (October 6)
Jobs
🧑⚕️ Be the next Diagnostic Coordinator at Kadisco General Hospital (Ethiopia)
🧑⚕️ Join Cipla Africa as a Medical Advisor (Kenya)
🧑⚕️ Join Growth Troops as the New Patient Coordinator (DRC)
🧑⚕️ Become the Patient Services Coordinator at LineIn Ltd (South Africa)
Various
🏥 US funding freeze halts malaria prevention and genomic research
🏥 Global warming linked to rising cases of cancer among women
🤝 Commonwealth partners with health champions to fight antimicrobial resistance
Seen on LinkedIn
Dr Sangu Delle, Chief Executive Officer at CarePoint, says, “What if the best doctor for your condition isn’t in your city, or even your country? For years, that often meant going without care. Not anymore. Telemedicine is erasing borders in healthcare. I recently spoke with a patient in a rural Kenyan community who, through a simple tablet at a micro-clinic, consulted a cardiologist in Nairobi without leaving her village.”
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