UK social investment firm launches BrightFlag Healthcare

Source: Supplied.

BrightFlag Healthcare is a development and investment company implementing turnkey healthcare infrastructure projects across Africa, from concept through to construction, with complete medical equipment service and facilities management solutions.

According to the African Development Bank, only 51% of primary health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to basic water and sanitation services, and a Reuters survey found that the continent has only 1.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people (compared to 2.1 in Latin America and 6.1 in Europe).

Across the continent, poor health outcomes reflect a lack of access to quality health services – and the economic costs of these health challenges are severe: the Bank estimates that Africa loses $2.4tn in annual output due to poor health.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed critical shortcomings in national health systems across the continent, and highlighted Africa’s diverse health infrastructure needs.

"The disparity is as large, with unequal distribution also a major factor: only half of primary healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to clean water and adequate sanitation, and only a third have access to reliable electricity. Countering this requires an adaptation of services and infrastructure,” notes Walmsley.

BrightFlag is uniquely positioned to not only address the infrastructural deficit, it does so with the added benefit of meeting another major challenge for the continent: constrained fiscal resources and rising debt levels.

“Africa faces major deficits in financing for health infrastructure; according to the African Development Bank’s report, Strategy for Quality Health Infrastructure In Africa 2022-2030, the $4.5bn in capital expenditure currently made by Africa governments each year is far below the estimated $26bn in annual investment needed to meet evolving health needs over the next decade,” says Walmsley.

“This means that African countries will not only need additional support to meet their health infrastructure, they also require assistance in mobilising funding from private investments – and BrightFlag is perfectly placed to meet those challenging needs.”