At GITEX Future Health Africa in Casablanca, Aurélie Etté Askia shared Sanofi's vision for reducing health inequalities on the continent. With a €25 million fund, the objective is clear: to support technological innovation to reach the most isolated populations.

1. A strategy focused on the "Last Mile"

Sanofi's Global Health Unit does not simply serve African capitals. It deploys an integrated model based on three fundamental pillars to reach rural areas and secondary cities:

1. Financial accessibility: Offering treatments for chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, cancer) at affordable prices.
2. Capacity building: Train local health professionals (doctors, nurses, community workers) to improve diagnosis and follow-up.
3. Technological investment: Funding digital solutions capable of multiplying the efficiency of care.

2. Health Tech at the service of diagnosis and logistics

The impact fund invests between €500,000 and €3 million per project in mature startups. AI and digitalization are at the heart of its priorities.

"Technology does not replace the doctor, it frees up time and refines accuracy," explains Aurélie Etté Askia.

She cites in particular the example of the Egyptian start-up Rologi , which uses artificial intelligence to assist radiologists in the analysis of medical images, thus accelerating patient care.

3. Dynamics of the Francophone ecosystem

While Anglophone Africa (Nigeria, Kenya) has long dominated the tech sector, Francophone Africa is catching up. Ivorian startups like Meditect , Zencey , and La Ruche Health exemplify this rise to prominence.

To attract more capital, Aurélie Etté Askia highlights two major challenges for entrepreneurs:

1. Economic maturity: Consolidating business models and customer base.
2. The regulatory framework: States need to clarify legislation, particularly on the protection of medical data, to reassure investors.

4. A call for collaboration

For Sanofi, transforming healthcare in Africa cannot be achieved by a single actor. Success depends on synergy between governments, private investors, and innovators. GHU's presence in Morocco demonstrates this commitment to identifying local solutions that can be replicated across the continent to build a more resilient and inclusive healthcare system.