Speak Up Africa and IFPMA start their search for winners of the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award
- The Africa Young Innovators for Health Award is IFPMA and Speak Up Africa’s flagship programme to provide young entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector an opportunity to develop their business ideas and advance promising solutions to support, equip, protect, and train healthcare workers.
- Applications open from 11 January and close on 31 March 2021. The Award offers three winners up to $40,000 to help bring their healthcare innovation to life, a business mentorship and expert support, and advice on intellectual property protection.
Dakar/Geneva, January 11, 2021 – Today, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and Speak Up Africa start the search to find the first set of winners for the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award. The Award seeks to fuel innovation and help advance promising healthcare solutions in the continent.
The Award recognises that young people are one of Africa’s greatest assets. Africa is the youngest continent on the planet, and by 2050 Africa’s youth population will increase by nearly 50 per cent. “The demographic dividend offers an incredible opportunity to leverage the power of the entrepreneurial youth. Young people not only have the potential but are currently finding new ways to solve pressing healthcare problems,” says Sobel Aziz Ngom, Executive Director, Social Change Factory. The Award offers three winners up to $40,000 to help bring their healthcare innovation to the next development stage. Award winners will also benefit from a business mentorship programme and expert support, as well as advice on intellectual property protection.
“Young people are the changemakers of today and the engine to fuel innovation to help advance promising healthcare solutions. The Africa Young Innovators for Health Award is an investment in the human capital of Africa’s promising young entrepreneurs. We are proud to be a supporter.” explains Gustavo Raiter, Business Development Lead, Microsoft4Afrika.
2021 is designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers (YHCW) by the World Health Organisation, in recognition of the dedication of the millions of healthcare workers at the forefront of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the 2021 edition of the Africa Young Innovators for Health Award will be searching for innovative healthcare solutions that will support, equip, protect, and train healthcare workers.
Applicants must be between 18 and 35, a resident or national of an African country, and show that their invention is scalable, measurable, has a sustainable and positive impact on healthcare workers and is commercially viable. Detailed information of the award, including eligibility, is available at www.africayounginnovatorsforhealth.org. Applications will be open from 11 January 2021 until 31 March 2021.
The Africa Young Innovators for Health Award is supported by AMREF Health Africa, BroadReach, Ecobank Academy, Forum Galien Africa, IntraHealth International, Microsoft4Afrika, the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and Social Change Factory, alongside our media partners: Africa.com, Télésud and SciDev.Net.
