African Health Innovation Centre

The African Health Innovation Centre strengthens Africa’s burgeoning health innovation ecosystem and empowers emerging leaders to improve health outcomes through entrepreneurship and innovation.

OUR HISTORY

The African Health Innovation Centre (AHIC) began as a programme of Impact Hub Accra in June 2016, mapping Ghana’s health innovation ecosystem and leading West Africa’s first health innovation hackathon, Health Hack Accra. Over the next three years, the team launched an early-stage startup incubator (MEDspace), hosted a series of digital eHealth meetups, and designed a summer research program for emerging public health leaders. 

In Spring 2019, the programme spun off from Impact Hub Accra and became a separate legal entity. AHIC is the first organisation in Ghana to focus exclusively on empowering entrepreneurs and health professionals to use their experiences and talents to create innovative solutions in the health space. Read below to find out more about our current work.

OUR WORK

The African Health Innovation Centre is committed to improving health outcomes through entrepreneurship and innovation.

AHIC offers diverse health-related programmes including early-stage startup incubation, cross-sector relationship development, health innovation consulting, ecosystem mapping, hackathons, and other events. Based in Ghana, AHIC partners with the government, industry, academic, nonprofit, startup, and healthcare sectors, bringing diverse stakeholders to the table for conversation and collaboration.

While AHIC offers diverse programming, it has responded to identified community needs by determining specialty focus areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, mental health and wellness, and emergency care.

PROGRAMMING FOCUS AND DELIVERY

The African Health Innovation Centre implements programming in Ghana and beyond - infusing innovation and entrepreneurship into traditional health delivery, creating connections at the community and system levels, and empowering a new generation of thought leaders and action takers. 

AHIC delivers in five main ways - incubating, advising, convening, training, and exploring - to build a healthier Africa.

OUR PARTNERS

AHIC has delivered health innovation programming with a variety of corporates, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, and private health facilities. Partners include the United Nations Population Fund Ghana Country Office (UNFPA), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund Ghana Country Office (UNICEF), the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Merck, PsychAid&Love Outreach, and more. 

OUR VALUES

1. We are BOLD. We believe innovative ideas will change the world and want African entrepreneurs to design, implement, and scale the next generation of health solutions.

2. We are INCLUSIVE. We believe in engaging the leaders of today, and supporting the leaders of tomorrow. We embrace innovators from all backgrounds, educational levels, and areas of expertise.

3. We are COLLABORATIVE. We know innovation comes with risk and aim to broker relationships between established entities and new startups to alleviate hesitation and increase opportunities for partnership.

4. We are TRUSTWORTHY. We operate with integrity and transparency.