Tech Watch: Digital platform boosts access to affordable medicines

From the newsletter

Poor supply chains severely limit access to life-saving medicines in Africa due to factors such as high prices, limited availability, climate-challenged infrastructure and weak regulatory systems. Platforms such as Axmed Medical are trying to counter these challenges with a marketplace for affordable, quality medicines through technology and pooled demand.

• Axmed recently received a $5 million Gates Foundation grant to assist African governments in purchasing affordable, high-quality medicines for mothers, newborns, and children via matched funding.

• Other technologies on our Tech Watch list this month include AI-PAP by Morocco’s DataPathology and an artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiogram tool validated in Kenya. Both solutions provide low-cost, scalable, and climate-resilient screening for cancer and heart disease in under-resourced African health systems.

More details

• Axmed’s digital marketplace connects institutional buyers directly with vetted suppliers, aggregating demand across countries and consolidating procurement at scale. In 2024, Ministries of Health and other procurers using the platform achieved average savings of 20 to 30 per cent, with select maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) products realising up to 80 per cent cost reductions.

• Axmed also partners with global logistics providers to manage end-to-end delivery, from manufacturers to last-mile distribution, with full tracking and traceability. The platform has been deployed across multiple low- and middle-income countries to support national and regional procurement strategies.

• The $5 million grant to Axmed will match government spending on purchasing MNCH medicines through the platform, making these life-saving medicines more affordable. This grant could facilitate up to $10 million in medical purchases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its goal is to assist national health systems by providing quicker access to essential medicines, enhancing their procurement processes, and enabling countries to collaborate on purchases to save money.

• AI-PAP is a technology created by DataPathology, a Moroccan health technology start-up co-founded in 2020 by Dr. Hicham El Attar and Mohammed El Khannoussi. This artificial intelligence-powered platform digitises and analyses cervical cancer screening samples. Health workers collect samples using a kit and upload them to a cloud-based system, where connected laboratories utilise AI to quickly detect abnormalities. Results are typically available within two to three days. 

• The solution targets gaps in speed, accuracy, and access to cancer diagnosis throughout Africa, with the goal of reducing preventable deaths by expanding affordable early screening in low-resource settings. Additionally, it guarantees resilient service delivery even in the face of climate-related disruptions to health infrastructure.

• Developed by a Medical AI Company in South Korea, an AI-enabled electrocardiogram (ECG) algorithm detects left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which is a critical precursor to heart failure. In a study conducted in Kenya involving nearly 6,000 patients, the algorithm accurately identified 96 per cent of individuals with heart problems and successfully ruled out 99 per cent of those without such issues, outperforming the leading test, echocardiography.

• Co-led by Dr. Ambarish Pandey from the US and Dr. Bernard Samia from Kenya, this technology provides a scalable and low-cost screening method for regions with limited access to diagnostic imaging. It specifically targets Africa's increasing cardiovascular burden, particularly among young, high-risk populations that lack sufficient health infrastructure. By facilitating early disease detection, the technology alleviates pressure on hospitals and enhances care in the face of climate-driven health challenges across the continent.

Our take

• There is a clear increase in AI integration within African healthcare, and its potential is undeniable. However, as we advance towards progress, we must ask: what might we lose in the silence of unchecked innovation?

• Data privacy is the most pressing concern. Many African nations lack strong protections, putting personal health data at risk. Without robust regulations, breaches and misuse can erode trust in digital health systems. 

• AI decision-making can often lack transparency. If policies are shaped by opaque algorithms, accountability becomes ambiguous. It is essential that AI systems are understandable and that responsibility is clearly defined.