Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced that it has awarded a grant to Nigeria’s Mobihealthcare Limited (Mobihealth) for a feasibility study to support the expansion of its telehealth services from Nigeria to Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt. This collaborative effort will help expand healthcare access for 100,000 individuals per year across Africa.
“By partnering with Mobihealth, our goal is to transform the delivery of healthcare to underserved communities across Africa using the best technology that U.S. industry has to offer,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “It is also gratifying to see women-led businesses such as Mobihealth leading the development of critical infrastructure on the continent.”
USTDA’s study will include a detailed market assessment, financial analysis, and legal and regulatory assessment for each of the four countries. The Africa Investment Forum (AIF) is collaborating with USTDA to facilitate the development and financing of Mobihealth’s project.
Mobihealth CEO Funmi Adewara said: “The USTDA grant comes at an opportune time and will enable us to expand the scope of our integrated telehealth, electronic medical records, and digitalization services to several other African markets over the next few years. African female entrepreneurs find it much harder to raise funds, so this support from the USTDA, made possible through the AIF, will be invaluable. The impact this project will have across Africa’s healthcare system cannot be over emphasized.”
Chinelo Anohu, Senior Director of the AIF, said: “The awarding of the grant to Mobihealthcare is a welcome manifestation of the MOU signed between the USTDA and AIF(link is external) one year ago to deliver high-quality infrastructure solutions to sub-Saharan Africa. We now need to apply our collective capacities to secure full financing for the regional expansion of its telehealth service.”
The AIF(link is external) is an initiative of the African Development Bank and seven partner institutions to accelerate transactions and attract investors to close Africa’s investment gaps.
USTDA’s announcement of grant funding for Mobihealth’s feasibility study took place at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, where the Agency announced a total of three new grant activities to advance healthcare access in Nigeria and across Africa.
Nigerian Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, commented: “[USTDA’s grantees] will be equipped with more tools to develop their programs, be it as top-notch cancer treatment centers or other related services that address urgent healthcare needs in our country. A closer relationship with USTDA will also allow recipient organizations to draw on highly valued U.S experience in healthcare and build lasting partnerships that improve national and global health.”
USTDA’s assistance to Mobihealth advances one of the key pillars of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment(link is external), which aims to strengthen global health security through investments in patient-centered health services. The project also advances the U.S. government’s Prosper Africa initiative to substantially increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa.
Source: AFDB