Health sector professionals are now advocating for partnerships among public, private, and educational institutions to foster the development of health technology in the country.
Speaking during a stakeholder’s summit in Nairobi the experts identified the key role that academic institutions should play in driving innovation.
Dubbed the Futurize HealthTech Summit, the forum brought together over 120 attendees, from Education, health and technology industry.
The initiative is a joint initiative by Futurize and AstraZeneca under the A.Catalyst Network.
They engaged in critical discussions on nurturing healthtech ecosystems through collaboration among private, public, and academic entities as well as the role of academic institutions in innovation.
"Fostering a thriving healthtech ecosystem goes beyond individual efforts; it hinges on our ability to connect, share insights, and build upon each other's strengths," said AstraZeneca head of digital & it, African cluster Jonathan Calder.
The summit spotlighted ten startups from the FuturizeU incubator, exemplifying the powerful combination of academic excellence and business savvy through the Fuel Africa Program.
Innovations were prominently featured, including Vectorgram's advanced AI tools for early breast cancer diagnosis and Tawi Health's digital solutions to enhance healthcare accessibility.
MariTest showcased a bloodless diagnostic device, utilizing AI and advanced sensor technology for non-invasive, automated malaria detection.
Innovations were on full display, with Vectorgram demonstrating advanced AI tools for early breast cancer diagnosis, and Tawi Health showcasing digital solutions to enhance healthcare accessibility.
Another was MariTest who developed a bloodless diagnostic device that offers a non-invasive, automated method for malaria detection using AI and advanced sensor technology.
This year's summit established a blueprint for ongoing collaboration, inviting policymakers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to further the dialogue and action towards a cohesive ecosystem.
“Africa is the continent of the future. The future is not one narrative; the future is what we make of it. It is not technology that will define the future, it is us who are building, using, and deploying technology that will determine what the future will look like. The future is in our hands,” said Head at Hiventy Kenya & Nigeria Caroline Mbindyo.
