Like many African doctors, Peter Mativo had to travel overseas to complete his training.
In 2007 he left Kenya for Bangalore to pursue his goal of becoming a neurologist. After 18 months in India, he returned to Kenya and now works at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.
“Most of us train in India, as Africa is not a developed continent. We have a very poor economy with no medical infrastructure in place nor specialised training,” he says.
“I would have never been able to get a specialised degree if I would not opted for India,” Mr Mativo says.
India is keen to strengthen such ties with Africa. It has identified the healthcare sector as one area where trade between the continents can flourish.
So young African doctors are encouraged to finish their training in India, meanwhile, Indian healthcare firms are expanding all over Africa
“The African market is a natural choice for Indian pharmaceutical companies, as India is the largest supplier of generic drugs in the world,” says Nisht Dubey.
Generic drugs made in India can sell for a quarter of the price of a branded equivalent, making them a popular choice in less affluent parts of the world.
“There is a big gap between demand and supply of medicines in Africa, with a huge disparity between rich and poor,” says Mr Dubey.
Spurred by a shortage of medicines and hospital equipment in Kenya during the Covid crisis, Mr Dubey established Good strain Pharma in 2020. It imports medicines and medical products from around the world into Kenya.
Goodstrain’s warehouse and offices are in Nairobi, but Mr Dubey wants it to expand across East Africa.
“Africa is the only pharma market where really high growth is still achievable,” says Dubey from Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
But starting a business in Kenya has not been easy. Goodstrain’s first-ever shipment to Kenya was stuck at customs for weeks – a major setback for the young company.
Mr Dubey says they were not ready for the web of regulations covering imports. From now on, a third party, specialising in customs clearance of imports, will take care of it for them.