The Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) Health Innovation Festival 2026 (HIFest 2026) concluded on June 6 at the Fiesta Royale Hotel.

Co-hosted by Ashesi University and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, the three-day convening brought together over 100 participants from nine countries across Africa and Canada—including Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia, and Canada.  

Among them were 37 young health entrepreneurs and innovators, joined by investors, clinicians, policymakers, mentors, and ecosystem leaders committed to advancing health innovation and strengthening healthcare systems across Africa.

HIFest is the Africa Health Collaborative’s flagship entrepreneurship and innovation platform, connecting young health innovators with mentorship, investment opportunities, and ecosystem partners to help scale solutions that strengthen healthcare systems across Africa.

The festival culminated in a highly competitive pitch showcase where 37 early-stage and idea-stage health ventures, representing nine partner institutions across Africa and Canada, competed for a share of $13,000 in prizes. Following intense vetting and five-minute presentations, seven ventures emerged victorious.

The Grand Prize Winners Driving Local Solutions

In the Early-Stage Category, KAARAANGE (AMREF Health Africa/Senegal), led by project lead Mor Talla Mouhniyan Ndiaye, secured the grand prize of $3,000. Addressing the risk of occupational infections among healthcare workers, KAARAANGE developed an AI-powered "Smart Bin". The device uses cameras and sensors to sort biomedical waste automatically at the source, utilizing an in-built UV light for disinfection.

In the Idea-Stage Category, HerbIma (Addis Ababa University), founded by Iman Redwan, took home the first prize of $2,500 for Iron+. This high-bioavailability supplement powder, formulated from indigenous Ethiopian Red Teff, offers an affordable, natural alternative to address childhood anaemia, a persistent public health challenge in Ethiopia.

Expanding the Circle of Innovation

Other top-performing ventures recognised for their outstanding impact and viability included:

• Early-Stage Runners-Up: StainSmart (University of Toronto) earned first runner-up for its automated slide-staining system designed to accelerate disease diagnosis. RiseBeyond Organisation (African Leadership University) claimed second runner-up for its mobile pediatric physiotherapy platform.
• Idea-Stage Runners-Up: Mosaan Health (AMREF Health Africa/Senegal) placed as first runner-up for its low-resource digital microscope, followed by the Menstrual Empowerment Initiative (African Leadership University), which produces biodegradable sanitary pads from agricultural waste.
• People's Choice & Mentions: DamuBoost (Moi University) won the People’s Choice Award for its organic blood-restoring food supplement. DawaPoint (Moi University) and SnooCode Red (University of Toronto) received honourable mentions.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to come to Ghana and experience the Health Innovation Festival. One of the key lessons I have learned is that when developing an idea, you must also think about the business strategy behind it and how it will generate revenue. To bring an idea to life, you need to create something tangible that solves a real problem and delivers value to users, to yourself as an innovator, and to the community in which you operate. It is also important to demonstrate how the solution can scale,” said Sharon Mbai, a student at Moi University and Co-founder of Mind Link

Bridging Concept to Implementation

Beyond the competition, HIFest 2026 focused on addressing the barriers that often prevent promising African health innovations from reaching scale. Key takeaways from industry masterclasses and expert panels included:

• Regulatory Readiness as a Foundation: Health innovation coach Emmanuel Seyram Duku stressed that regulatory frameworks must be integrated into the earliest product development phases—not treated as an afterthought—especially for clinical devices and diagnostics.
• Proving Sustainable Demand: An investor panel featuring leaders from Impact Investing Ghana and the Equity Group Foundation noted that attracting long-term capital requires validated customer demand and clear growth pathways over pure technology.
• Clinical Workflow Integration: Healthcare practitioners emphasized that innovations must fit seamlessly into existing hospital workflows to effectively reduce burdens on overworked frontline healthcare workers.

“I truly enjoyed and benefited from the breakout sessions, where we had the opportunity to refine our value proposition, identify key resource needs, and sharpen our investment asks. Being here has also helped me better understand the investor mindset—what investors look for and what ultimately convinces them to invest. We also learned how to tell our story in a compelling way so that people can buy into our vision,” said Josue Nguinabe, a student at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences and founder of AfriMedLink.

Driving Systemic Impact

The event also highlighted the importance of strengthening the broader ecosystem needed to support health innovation. Keynote speaker Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, CEO of Ghana's National Vaccine Institute, connected the youth-led innovations directly to continental priorities, mapping out pathways for health sovereignty and localized medical manufacturing.  

Participants also visited Yemaachi Biotech, gaining firsthand exposure to work in genomics, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine tailored to African populations.

In her closing address, Dr. Penina Lam, Head of the AHC Secretariat, challenged participants to embrace three principles: Presence to identify local health challenges, Partnership to leverage collective expertise and resources, and Promise to scale solutions that improve health outcomes across Africa.

Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, the AHC seeks to equip emerging innovators with the skills, networks, and resources needed to transform promising ideas into solutions capable of strengthening health systems across the continent.