Description

The East African region boasts of a number of emerging leaders within Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of overall development and growth. On one hand, the region has one of the highest burdens of disease in the world, such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. On the other hand, there has been a growing trend of non-communicable diseases, such as cancers and diabetes, which pose an additional strain on the healthcare sector in the region. Despite positive developments in healthcare over the past decade, the sector currently faces a number of regulatory challenges. Another challenge is that these countries face equally pressing challenges such as poverty alleviation. These have a knock-on effect on the rest of the economy, requiring smart prioritisation of available resources. While various health strategies have been enforced across different countries in the region, their levels of success have been somewhat marginal. A deeper understanding of the different regulations covering key sectors and their successes and/or failures is highlighted in this study. While there are many regional similarities in the healthcare regulations of Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, due to socio-political, economic, and historical factors, the main differences are laid out in the study. Significant investment in healthcare and its allied industries’ for these three countries can be realised through unpacking the respective regulations in the sub-sectors of the healthcare market, assessing the history, development trends, future plans and future impact. Furthermore, the required areas of transformation can be realised using this research deliverable. Although some sub-sectors’ regulations are more advanced than others, the regulatory aspects and impact cannot be separated. It is therefore necessary to understand the market as a whole, with cross-sector opportunities, particularly given the competition arriving from other African regions. The study covers the following healthcare segments: public health, healthcare finance, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, eHealth.