International Funding for African Healthcare Targets Key Problem Areas

Business Wire, March 11, 2008

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Sizeable international funding is targeting the serious health challenges across sub-Saharan Africa. However, even as donors pledge significant amounts to AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) projects, information regarding the sources, values and destinations of the funding remain limited.

New analysis from global growth consulting company Frost & Sullivan (http://www.medicaldevices.frost.com) entitled "International Donor Funding for the Healthcare Industry in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries", finds that donor funding for the healthcare sector is being channeled towards a multitude of areas. These include insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria, antiretroviral drugs to expand access to antiretroviral therapy in Africa, HIV rapid test kits, laboratory equipment to support the roll out of antiretroviral therapy such as CD4 count and determination of lymphocyte count, artemesinin combination therapy and other anti-malarial drugs and tuberculosis drugs to support direct observed treatment (DOTS), a TB control strategy.

"The largest amount of funding for healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa is currently coming from international initiatives such as the Global Fund for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria," notes the head of Frost & Sullivan's African healthcare practice, Dr. Keith Schlagbauer. "Sizeable funding is also accruing from the initiatives of the US President in the form of President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR 2003-2008), and The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI 2005-2010)."

Given that a considerable proportion of funding entering sub-Saharan Africa is targeted towards healthcare, opportunities are thus being created for pharmaceutical and medical device provision to the funding organisations and healthcare providers.

However, African countries have a history of the maladministration of donor funds. Agencies are, therefore, becoming more circumspect about the places in which they will invest. In countries where public sector reform has occurred and financial management systems are transparent, donor states are supporting healthcare through direct budgetary support to boost health budgets and to enable African governments to offer health services such as antiretroviral therapy and DOTS.

"To support these initiatives, it is necessary for participants in the healthcare industry to know who the leading funding organisations are," observes Schlagbauer. "Equally important, they need to know how they are able to introduce products into the funded channels."

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of International Donor Funding for the Healthcare Industry in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at patrick.cairns@frost.com, your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

International Donor Funding for the Healthcare Industry in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries: Historical Data and Identified Ongoing Funding Sources is part of the Medical Devices Growth Partnership Services Programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Strategic Analysis of the South African Advanced Wound Care Market; Key Hospital Purchasing and Reimbursement for Medical Devices in South Africa; and Hospital Purchasing and Reimbursement for Medical Devices in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Global Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

International Donor Funding for the Healthcare Industry in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries: Historical Data and Identified Ongoing Funding Sources

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