Experts Share Insights On Health Investment And Innovation At PSHAN Health Investments Conference

The PSHAN Health Investments Conference, held during the Medic West Africa event, brought together key stakeholders from across the healthcare sector to discuss critical issues and explore opportunities for improving healthcare investment and delivery in Nigeria and Africa.

The conference, which took place at the Main Showfloor, Landmark Centre on Thursday, April 18, 2024, featured a lineup of distinguished speakers and panelists who provided insights into the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare investments, challenges, and proposing sustainable solutions for the Nigerian market.

The event offered a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration, setting the stage for future advancements in the healthcare sector.

Themed “Healthcare Investment Trends: Exploring Opportunities, Challenges and Proposing Sustainable Solutions for The Nigerian Market”, the conference opened with a welcome address by Dr. Tinuola Akinbolagbe, Managing Director and CEO of Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN).

Dr. Akinbolagbe set the tone for the event by outlining the conference’s objectives and emphasizing the importance of improving healthcare access and quality.

She further highlighted the crucial role of understanding market opportunities and challenges to facilitate sustainable growth in the sector.

“As we work towards improving healthcare access and quality, it is crucial to understand the opportunities and challenges present in the market and develop a framework to enhance healthcare access and quality. This understanding of the various investment opportunities and challenges is essential for sustainable growth while providing an avenue to explore strategies for risk mitigation, technology integration, and investment in reshaping healthcare investment,” Dr Akinbolagbe noted.

The initiative to create a single African market has existed in the pan-African political discourse for decades.

The continent was set on the path to actualising the goal after the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was included in the African Union’s (AU) 2063 agenda.

The agreement was signed on 21 March 2018, came into force on 30 May 2019, and became operational on 7 July 2019.

After delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Free Trade Area (FTA) was launched on 1 January 2021.

The agreement aims to boost intra-African trade by eliminating 97% of tariff lines on goods and services as a pathway to industrialisation and prosperity on the continent.

One of the distinguished speakers, Dr. Amit N. Thakker, Executive Chairman of Africa Health Business, Kenya, in his presentation, provided a comprehensive framework for balancing risk and reward in health investments in Sub-Saharan Africa.

His discussion shed light on the strategies and challenges involved in investing in healthcare in the region.

Dr. Thakker further explored the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in facilitating investments and offered insights into opportunities for growth and navigating associated risks.