Three healthtech trends to watch in 2024

Africa has been witnessing a lot of growth and its healthcare ecosystem is no exception. Recently, the continent has seen a surge in companies developing and adopting innovative healthtech products.

These solutions can assist in improving access and quality of care, and reduce costs for millions of Africans. However, the vast range of diversity within the continent poses many challenges and opportunities.

Be that as it may, the future of healthtech in Africa is very bright. As a growing number of startups and established companies keep developing innovative solutions, we will likely see significant improvements in healthcare access and affordability on the continent in the coming years.

The healthtech industry is delivering care to patients in different ways, be it through apps, wearables or a remote companion. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a person had to always physically visit a hospital or a doctor to receive medical treatments, but things are changing fast.

The digital health market in Africa is projected to grow by 15.42% between 2023 and 2027, resulting in a market volume of $10.42 billion in 2027, according to Statista Market Insights.

Connecting Africa has compiled a list of three healthtech trends that are providing innovative solutions to the problems faced by the African healthcare system.

Mobile Health (mHealth)

The use of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to deliver healthcare services has been on the rise. Taking advantage of mobile technology, mHealth solutions deliver healthcare information and services directly to users’ devices.

The healthtech industry is delivering care to patients in different ways, be it through apps, wearables or a remote companion. (Source;Image by DC Studio on Freepik)

These services include anything from providing information on health matters to remotely monitoring patients, as well as scheduling appointments. Due to the continent's high mobile penetration rate, this innovative trend is on the rise.

Furthermore, mHealth apps help users track their health metrics, such as heart rate, steps taken, calorie intake and sleep patterns. Wearable devices like fitness trackers sync with mobile apps and provide real-time health data.

2. Telemedicine

Telemedicine platforms enable patients to receive healthcare remotely, eliminating the necessity of traveling to clinics or hospitals. These solutions enhance accessibility and convenience for patients throughout the continent.

Types of telemedicine include real-time video communication, which allow patients to seek a doctor's advice about nonemergency situations without an in-office visit.

Another form of telemedicine includes remote monitoring, which involves evaluation and health data collection that includes but is not limited to monitoring blood pressure, cardiac stats, oxygen levels and respiratory rates.

The digital health market in Africa is projected to grow by 15.42% between 2023 and 2027. (Source: Image by DC Studio on Freepik)

Another feature of telemedicine includes the store-and-forward method, which involves sharing medical information like CAT scans, MRIs, X-rays, photos, videos, and text-based patient data.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has been shaking things up in the healthcare ecosystem and the technology in the healthcare market is on a massive growth spree.

Precedence Research predicts that AI in healthtech will jump by 37% every year from 2022 to 2030.

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The technology is being used to develop new diagnostic tools, personalized treatment plans, and even to power virtual health assistants.

AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare in Africa by making it more efficient, accessible and accurate.

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*Top image source: Image by DCStudio on Freepik.

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa