At Salient, we’re consistently excited about digital health companies that ‘super-power’ existing providers, networks and health systems.
Start-ups like ShelfLife allow community pharmacies and drug shops to fully outsource their inventory management and drastically improve availability, and organizations like Gricd help ministries of health track and monitor the location and storage conditions of temperature-sensitive products in real time. Such innovations can improve access to care at the lowest-levels, whether or not patients themselves are tech-enabled.
However, when assessing the commercialization and impact potential of such innovations, data are often lacking on the baseline level of digital infrastructure and the current uptake of digital solutions in facilities across Africa.
This is especially true of facilities in the private and less formal sectors, where many poorer patients obtain care and the need for solutions that reduce cost, improve availability, ensure quality are acute.
Thus, we are thrilled to be launching a large-scale, rapid assessment to describe the current levels of digitization across hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and drug shops in the public and private sectors in one of Africa’s biggest and most innovative markets – Lagos State.
The data are being collected to support Ministry of Health’s work to evolve their e-health strategy, through our partners at HealthEnabled. We are honoured to be supporting such a forward-thinking government as they consider how best to harness innovations to extend access to care.
With thanks to our partners at ABA Healthcare Africa, HealthEnabled, the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Stay tuned for findings in the early fall.
