Start-ups for Medical Aid in Africa
Start-ups are a bearer of hope for medical (and economic) innovations in Africa. They also offer perspectives for young committed people, create jobs and open up locally specific solutions for upcoming tasks. An attractive example of this is the cooperation of the Nigerian start-up “LifeBank” and TEC4MED GmbH from Darmstadt (Germany). The two companies are jointly supplying rural regions in Africa with blood reserves. TEC4MED supplies mobile coolers, whereas LifeBank maintains a database that shows where which blood products are available and where they are needed.
The initiators presented their concept last March at the “Start-up night! Afrika 2018” in Berlin (1). The Federal Ministry of Economics links German and African founders whose ideas are interesting to both, the German and the African market, under the slogan Pro! Afrika. So far, there are only few business models on start-up ranking lists in Africa that offer assistance in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This also applies to start-ups in Uganda, a country which often refers to itself as a land of entrepreneurs. The company Walimu for example, which verifies innovative approaches in research and teaching against lung diseases and implements them in Uganda, is currently ranked as ninth in a ranking list called startupranking.com. Rank 33 is followed by Markitah-Juice, a company supplying workers with fresh fruit juices (2).
So it is quite possible that the innovative ideas against micronutrient deficiencies, which are now being developed in our Students4Kids initiative, will provide ideas for start-ups against hidden hunger and will meet with a positive response in Uganda.
Read and see more:
(1) The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Start-up Night! Africa 2018. Website, availiable via https://www.bmwi-registrierung.de/start-up-night-afrika/pdf/BMWi-Startup-Night-Africa-2018-brochure_WEB.pdf
(2) as one example: https://www.startupranking.com/top/uganda
Please note: this list is subject to frequent changes due to interactive ranking policies. The above displayed numbers may change.