Approximately 50% of all deaths and close to a third of disabilities in low- and middle-income countries could be avoided if people had access to better emergency care, according to medical journal Lancet. In fact, a 2018 study from the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that 29% of the total population of sub-Saharan Africa live more than two hours from the nearest hospital.
In an attempt to remedy this situation, mobile apps and smart devices are increasingly being deployed to provide high-quality, easily accessible care to those in need at a reasonable cost. In 2020, the number of e-health start-ups operating across the African continent has hit an all-time high. Disrupt Africa’s 2020 healthcare report, High Tech Health: Exploring the African E-health Start-up Ecosystem, reveals that the number of start-ups active in health technology on the continent has grown by 56.5% since 2017.
"In many ways, now is a great time for the continent’s health-tech sector – there are huge opportunities to prove concepts, gain traction and achieve lasting change in healthcare," said Gabriella Mulligan, co-founder of Disrupt Africa, in a statement about the report.
Below, we showcase the healthcare technology start-ups making an impact across Sub-Saharan Africa and outline how their work is transforming the industry. The list includes some companies that have headquarters outside Africa, but whose primary market was initially Africa.