According to a Deloitte analysis, the potential for telehealth in Africa is huge and promising as mobile connectivity improves and innovations that could potentially bridge the doctor-patient ratio gap emerge.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across Africa, mPharma, a Ghanaian health tech firm, is proposing to create 100 virtual clinics across seven African markets over the next six months.
mPharma’s final goal, as it expands these facilities, is to provide quality primary care in the areas they serve by conducting medical examinations, a function that most telemedicine organizations lack, according to the startup’s co-founder and CEO Gregory Rockson.
He claims that mPharma already gives about 10,000 physician consultations to patients through its network of pharmacies, and that the new technology will allow them to do so electronically as well, allowing them to reach a larger audience.
mPharma began as a company that managed prescription medicine inventories for pharmacies and their suppliers, but has now expanded to include retail pharmacy operations and market data for hospitals, pharmacies, and patients.
mPharma also has the support of well-versed professionals in the pharmaceutical business. Helena Foulkes, the former president of CVS, the largest pharmacy retail chain in the United States, and Daniel Vasella, the former CEO and chairman of Novartis, are both board members.
The tech startup intends to use its pharmacy network to create a “digital primary care service,” as they describe it. It will provide all-in-one diagnostic services via a telehealth service called Tytocare, which will provide a digital “stethoscope, otoscope, thermometer, and examination camera with built-in illumination for high-definition skin and throat images.”
The doctor will also be able to request speedy diagnostic tests, which will be carried out with the help of a registered community health nurse while the doctor consults remotely.
The virtual consultations will help patients in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, where mPharma has a presence. It is seeking further cash in order to expand its operations across the continent.
The efforts of the digital business will complement the services of dozens of other telemedicine startups across Africa, such as Vezeeta, an Egyptian doctor appointment booking startup. Following the receipt of $40 million in Series D funding, Vezeeta accelerated the development of home-visit solutions, teleconsultation, and online pharmacies across Egypt and Saudi Arabia last year.
As the pandemic continues, the sector is projected to expand, particularly in emerging regions with weak health infrastructure and low doctor-to-patient ratios compared to wealthy countries.
According to World Health Organization data, sub-Saharan African countries have an average of 0.23 doctors per 10,000 people. In some of the most industrialized countries, the optimum doctor-to-patient ratio is 84.2.
Telemedicine is expected to close this gap, spur partnerships, and give birth to new firms like Bima, which offer a variety of services, including health insurance products. The firm, which provides services in emerging markets and is based in Europe, just got $30 million in funding.
The African pharmaceutical business is predicted to increase at an exponential rate as the continent’s population grows, creating opportunities for innovation and a market for mobile health entrepreneurs.
