West Africa has witnessed a remarkable surge in innovative health tech startups that are transforming the landscape of healthcare accessibility in the region. These entrepreneurial ventures are leveraging cutting-edge technologies and creative solutions to address the long-standing challenges faced by the healthcare industry.
The exploits of these innovative companies deserve appropriate recognition and support. Hence, we’ve highlighted 12 such revolutionary ventures leveraging digital technology to redefine healthcare accessibility and administration in West Africa.
Reliance Health
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Reliance Health is a Medtech company improving access to quality medical services and products in African markets through technology. It seeks to build a more interconnected healthcare system in Africa. So, it combines innovative ideas with data to create solutions that bridge the gap between advanced healthcare systems and the local population.
Reliance Health offers two primary services via its digital infrastructure. Its clinical services option is designed to offer quality healthcare to busy families and career professionals. But, the other option, Healthcare Plans for Everyone, enables users to be more hands-on in managing their health. They also offer secondary services such as Children’s immunization packages, specialist care, and antenatal care.
Over the years, Reliance Health has served over 50,000 patients, partnering with several clinics and health care services providers within and outside Nigeria. It has received multiple recognition from several notable companies. It was listed among Y Combinator’s top companies in 2022.
mPharma
Year Founded: 2014
Location: Accra, Ghana
mPharma is a digital health solutions provider introducing technology to improve access to medications for Africans. The company aims to enable a smooth flow of pharmaceutical products from manufacturers to the consumers who need them.
mPharma has deployed a suite of digital solutions tailored to serve players across all levels of the pharmaceutical supply chain. It provides inventory management solutions to pharmaceutical product suppliers, helping them maintain their stock. It facilitates innovative financing for patients through its Mutti payment scheme, giving them the means to always purchase the medications they need.
In addition, mPharma provides market intelligence to pharmacies, hospitals, and patients while aggregating and forecasting demand through its network of suppliers to help dispensaries procure inventory at discounted prices.
mPharma partners with hospitals and pharmacies to fulfill its mission. It currently has 155 hospital partners and 850 Pharmacy partners serving over 2 million patients across 9 African countries.
DrugStoc
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Lagos Nigeria
DrugStoc is an innovative health tech startup that is transforming the pharmaceuticals and medical consumables supply chain in Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria. By harnessing the power of technology, DrugStoc digitizes the wholesale distribution of drugs to pharmacies and healthcare outlets, revolutionizing how these essential supplies are managed and delivered.
At the core of DrugStoc’s operations is a robust pharmaceutical management infrastructure offering comprehensive inventory solutions to healthcare providers. Through its all-in-one app, pharmacies and healthcare providers gain access to a centralized platform where they can efficiently source medical consumables and replenish their inventory.
One of DrugStoc’s primary objectives is to combat the issue of counterfeit pharmaceutical products. To address this challenge, the startup provides its partner pharmacies with access to a managed marketplace. Here, pharmacies can confidently procure all the items they need, knowing that they are sourced from trusted suppliers.
DrugStoc has significantly optimized pharmaceutical procurement and enhanced drug delivery efficiency in Nigeria. The startup is consistently improving access to quality healthcare products and empowering pharmacies to meet the demands of their patients
54Gene
Year Founded: 2019
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
54Gene is a biotechnology research company pioneering genetic studies and data collection in Africa. It aims to promote African genome inclusivity in genetic and medical research. The founders identified that a large percentage of the genetic materials used in medical and pharmaceutical research are Caucasian. Hence, it has set out to revolutionize the African healthcare ecosystem by conducting genomic research and providing accurate data on the genetic information of Africans living in Africa.
54Gene operates a proprietary genomics infrastructure and insights ecosystem called GENIISYS. It uses this system to collect, store and analyze highly curated genetic, clinical, and phenotypic data. It then uses the data to generate insights for better diagnostics and treatments.
54Gene is pioneering a revolution in drug discovery and health care administration in Africa using data-driven insights from Genomic studies. Through its genetic research, it helps pharmaceutical companies develop products that are better suited to Africans.
Africa Health Holdings
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Accra, Ghana
Africa Health Holdings is a digital health system provider building sustainable healthcare access in Africa. The company develops systems that power healthcare provision and services that are tailored to the local population in each of the locations where it has operations.
AHH runs multiple healthcare setups in 4 different countries. These include Carepoint and Lily hospitals in Nigeria, Seha Healthcare in Egypt, Meridian Health Group in Kenya, Rabito Clinic, and MyCareMobile in Ghana.
Each of these branches operates as a telemedicine front offering patients access to a range of services tailored to local population requirements through innovations like teleconferencing and digital health administration.
AHH is on a mission to transform health care in Africa, and it is currently expanding its footprint across the continent with multiple outlets in three regions already.
Helium Health
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Helium Health is a healthcare industry-focused technology company helping medical service providers leverage digital innovations to improve their service delivery to patients. It operates a comprehensive SaaS solution designed to improve healthcare management and delivery.
Helium Health’s SaaS solution includes a suite of dynamic digital tools for electronic medical records/ hospital information system management and health financing. Among its products are HeliumOS which is an operating system for care provision, and HeliumDoc, which facilitates provider-patient interaction
Its other solutions include HeliumCredit and HeliumWallet, which it uses to facilitate its financing options. Helium Health also partners with health organizations and government agencies for strategy implementation as well as policy and important healthcare-related decision-making.
To further expand its service delivery, the company acquired Meddy, a UAE-based doctor booking platform. It has since integrated the acquisition into its suite of products and consolidated its offerings across Africa.
Healthlane
Year Founded: 2013
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Healthlane is a digital healthcare provider developing solutions to improve life expectancy among Africans. The company offers digital medical services to help patients transition from sick care to preventive care, giving them a chance to live longer and healthier lives.
Healthlane deploys interactive digital tools that help users manage and monitor their lifestyle, diet, and internal conditions. It also offers comprehensive wellness checks and personalized care plans to enable users to understand, track and optimize their health.
Healthlane focuses on helping people avoid sicknesses and live healthier lifestyles. Hence, all its solutions are geared toward holistic well-being. Through its digital app, Healthlane is democratizing access to world-class preventive care and giving people an opportunity to live free of illnesses.
Remedial Health
Year Founded: 2019
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Remedial Health is a tech startup revolutionizing the pharmaceuticals and medical consumables supply chain in Africa. It implements technology to digitize wholesale drug distributions to pharmacies and healthcare outlets in Nigeria.
Remedial Health operates a pharmaceutical management infrastructure through which it provides inventory solutions for healthcare providers. Its platform serves as an all-in-one app for pharmacies and healthcare providers to source medical consumables and restock their inventory.
Remedial Health aims to help pharmacies avoid stocking up on counterfeit pharmaceutical products. Hence, it gives its partner pharmacies access to a managed marketplace where they can procure all the items they need and get their purchases delivered within 24 hours.
Remedial health has so far helped in optimizing pharma procurement and increasing drug delivery efficiency in Nigeria. Some of its additional services include market intelligence for pharmacies, procurement financing through its BNPL option, and market access – helping clients to learn more about their market.
Waspito
Year Founded: 2019
Location: Douala, Cameroon
Waspito is a telehealth startup connecting Africans to affordable and seamless healthcare. The company operates a digital platform where it facilitates correspondence and interactions between patients and healthcare service providers.
Primarily, Waspito’s platform connects users with medical doctors via instant video consultations. But that’s not all; the digital infrastructure gives users access to other forms of medical services, including medical information, educational content, prescription pharmaceutical procurement, and medical insurance options.
Essentially, Waspito provides a digital unifying platform for players in the healthcare value chain to interact and transact, making medical services more accessible and affordable for Africans.
Lifestores Healthcare
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Lifestores Healthcare is a telemedicine company bringing greater efficiency to the pharmaceutical supply chain in Nigeria and Africa. The startup aims to fast-track procurement processes for pharmacies, reduce costs, streamline credit access, and improve overall pharmacy operations through digital technology.
Lifestyle Healthcare has two B2B services. The first, called OGApharmacy, lets pharmacies and hospitals aggregate their purchasing needs, and then the company negotiates with suppliers for a 10 to 20% discount on the total price. Primarily, the service helps dispensaries save cost on inventory. The other product is PharmaIQ, an integrated dispensary management system for pharmacies to run their operations.
Lifestores Healthcare is focused on helping pharmacies and dispensaries improve store performance and have greater social impacts. It serves as a one-stop shop for all pharmacies’ operational needs. Working hand-in-hand with pharmacists, the company hopes to improve healthcare delivery to consumers.
Ubenwa Health
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Nigeria
Ubenwa Health is a health-tech startup leveraging technology to improve infants’ life expectancy in Africa. The company implements AI technology for diagnosing conditions in infants and prescribing appropriate treatment.
Ubenwa Health’s digital solution records and analyzes the cries of newborn and use machine-learning algorithms to detect irregularities that may be indicators of illnesses and diseases such as birth asphyxia.
Complications like birth asphyxia account for the death of up to 1 million babies during the first month of birth. Ubenwa Health aims to reduce avoidable infant mortality by diagnosing the conditions that contribute to it early using AI and innovative technology.
Famasi
Year Founded: 2021
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Famasi is a medication management solutions provider helping people take better control of their health and well-being. It operates a digital platform through which patients can easily procure prescription drugs, get them delivered to their doorsteps, and automate monthly refills.
The platform also allows users to connect with healthcare providers and get free follow-ups. Plus, they also get access to personalized healthcare plans
Famasi is committed to helping Nigerians access quality healthcare and maintain good health and wellness at their convenience.
