Tech innovations have helped improve food resilience in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, but a new study indicates that health tech is also expanding rapidly across Africa, spurred by the pandemic.

More than 60 new and existing private firms now offer health products to consumers and medical facilities across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, specifically in the field of telemedicine. “Startups across the continent are developing innovative, commercial models to transform health-product distribution for consumers and providers alike,” writes the report.

Like everywhere else in the world, the pandemic has highlighted the already fragmented health institutions of many African countries. The bulk of these new startups are focused on expanding the quality and scope of care with services like telehealth visits, health text messaging, inventory management, drone deliveries, stock financing, and counterfeit drug detection. 53 percent of these companies are interested in getting involved in Covid-19 vaccine distribution.

We’ve written at length about the potential for an international crisis to spur innovation. This new report illustrates how the pandemic has accelerated medical advancement to address current medical needs while improving future medical resilience even after the pandemic.

Source study: Salient – Innovations in Health Product Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa 2021

This story is part of our ‘Best of 2021’ series highlighting our top solutions from the year. Today we’re featuring health solutions.