The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and Speak Up Africa (SUA) will exclusively announce the final three winners of the first Africa Young Innovators for Health Award. The announcement will take place during the official Award ceremony from09:30 (GMT) on Thursday, 16th September 2021. The Ceremony will be a hybrid event in Dakar, Senegal and online.

The Awards ceremony will convene prominent healthcare leaders from across Africa and beyond, from entrepreneurs to technical, business and policy experts to celebrate African Innovation. The final three winners shall receive up to $40,000 in financial support and business mentorship and expert support and advice on intellectual property protection to help them develop their solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

This years’ Award theme focuses on supporting innovations that equip, protect and train healthcare workers in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s designation of 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers. The year recognises the dedication of the millions of healthcare workers at the forefront of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We believe that new solutions are needed to support, equip, protect and train healthcare workers. And young African entrepreneurs are best placed to find those solutions. The continent’s future is bright. With this Award, we are even more confident that the next generation has what it takes to improve the lot of the continent. Providing African solutions to African challenges” says Yacine Djibo, Executive Director, Speak Up Africa.

Africa is home to the youngest population and one of the highest entrepreneurship rates in the world. The continent’s demographic dividend coupled with its enterprising skills presents a considerable opportunity to fuel innovation to help advance promising healthcare solutions. “This Award recognises that young people are one of Africa’s greatest assets and the Ceremony will be a unique opportunity to showcase and celebrate African excellence in healthcare innovation.” says Greg Perry, Assistant Director-General at IFPMA.

The Africa Young Innovators For Health Award is also an investment in the human capital of Africa’s promising young entrepreneurs. The Award provides financial and in-kind support to three winners of the Award so they can advance their healthcare solutions and develop their great potential as enablers of change

The Africa Young Innovators for Health Award is supported by AMREF Health Africa, BroadReach, Ecobank Academy, IntraHealth International, Microsoft4Afrika, the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, the Ouagadougou Partnership, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and Social Change Factory, alongside our media partners: Africa.com, Télésud and SciDev.Net.

· Register for the Online Awards Ceremony here.

· Find out more about the Award at www.africayounginnovatorsforhealth.org

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Speak Up Africa.