On April 24, Strathmore University and ahti organized a breakfast meeting “Overcoming Barriers in Healthcare Innovation”. Angela Sitenei and Bernard Murunga presented local innovations. Representatives from governmental organizations, hospitals, NGO’s and private companies had an animated discussion about the issues that are at play in the healthcare system in Kenya and East Africa.

The healthcare sector in a.o. Kenya is highly complex and the medical care delivery ecosystem is under increasing pressure from rising costs and patient expectations. These pressures and the inherent nature of the industry make innovation a necessary step if the goals of UHC that are underpinned by the development and sustenance of a reliable, accessible and affordable healthcare system are to be realized. Yet budding and mature innovators may face many huddles such as a) lack of adequate funding b) Lack of clear policies on innovation c) poor rewards and incentives to innovate among others in their quest to provide the needed solutions.

At the meeting Stathmore University and ahti signed an MoU to jointly address these issues. We see this meeting and the signing of an MoU between Strathmore and ahti as the beginning of the creation of a dedicated ecosystem in which innovators, funders, policy makers, and other stakeholders can come together and foster healthcare innovation together in a trusted environment.