African healthcare supply chain initiative i3 announces 3 groundbreaking deals
At its third flagship Access to Markets (A2M) event, a two-day gathering intended to link Africa’s most promising e-health companies with strategic partners, Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative for startups building the future of healthcare supply chains, announced three ground-breaking deals.
i3 is committed to helping promising early- and growth-stage businesses commercialize. It is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and supported by MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics, Sanofi’s Global Health Unit, and Chemonics. Back in May, the initiative chose seven startups for its third phase.
i3 announced three new, game-changing agreements between top African e-health entrepreneurs and international manufacturers on the first day of its third A2M event. These partnerships will improve malaria treatment, pharmacy-based access, and cervical cancer prevention.
MSD and MYDAWA announced a partnership to help MYDAWA improve its concierge channel services in order to bolster efforts to eradicate cervical cancer. Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the Federal Ministry of Health’s Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), and Sproxil inked a Memorandum of Understanding to fight malaria by expanding access to diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Social Engagement Fund commemorated recent investments in three businesses that are advancing pharmacy in Africa: Reach52, Kasha, and Dawa Mkononi, a member of the most recent i3 cohort.
Dr. Ilka Wicke, head of Sustainability Social, stated, “We are thrilled to invest in three additional startups that deliver a strong impact to communities across Africa.” These alliances demonstrate our conviction that the best way to develop sustainable healthcare solutions is through cooperation, both with regional innovators who are aware of local needs and with international partners who can assist in scaling their vision. By working together, we are significantly advancing our objective of enhancing the lives of 50 million people by 2030. We are excited to commemorate advancements with our partners that support this goal throughout the i3 program.
