In recent years, the conversation surrounding healthcare in Africa has gained momentum, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities within the continent’s medical landscape. The need for more healthcare providers and better supply of medicines is clear and everybody seems to understand how these contribute to better health outcomes. However, when we talk about medical devices and equipment, the issues seem less clear.
We need more conversations around how medical technology, or medtech for short, contributes to better healthcare. For those of us who work in the medtech industry, it is vital that we engage with healthcare providers to understand their most pressing medtech challenges. We must ask ourselves often if the technology we are developing or distributing is meeting these needs.
We will know that the African medtech industry is successful in collaborating when we are providing technology that supports more accurate diagnosis so that more lives can be saved by facilitating prompt treatment. In addition, we need to provide medtech products that ensure high quality treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, surgical equipment as well as equipment for dental treatment, blood disorders, cancer and other illnesses.
I continue to be shocked that women and babies in Africa are still at inordinate risk of death at birth… Medical devices designed for prenatal care, such as fetal monitors and ultrasound machines, are vital for monitoring the health of expectant mothers and their babies. Additionally, neonatal incubators and pediatric monitoring devices can significantly improve care for vulnerable infants, thereby reducing mortality rates.
We are increasingly engaging with policymakers to align our technology development strategies with national and global objectives. The questions here need to be about who we can partner with to align the medtech challenges on the ground with policies and strategies to ensure our efforts are not at cross-purposes.
We need more conversations around how medical technology, or medtech for short, contributes to better healthcare.
The nascent African medtech ecosystem is beginning to produce medical devices tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by healthcare providers in our context. This not only creates jobs but also fosters a sense of ownership and sustainability in healthcare solutions. By supporting local innovation, we reduce dependency on imported devices and ensure that solutions are culturally appropriate and economically viable.
I believe in the power of collaboration to define and solve our healthcare problems. MEdevice is open to conversations and partnerships that will accelerate the growth of the African Medtech industry. If you have a medtech story, problem, challenge or solution please reach out and let’s explore how Africa can build a medtech industry that supports a stronger, more resilient healthcare system capable of addressing both current and future health challenges.
