When Markets Fail – The Need for a New Development Paradigm
Speaker: Onno Schellekens, Managing Director, Investment Fund for Health in Africa (IFHA).
With average GDP growth of over 5% for the past 7 years in Africa, improvements in political stability, and a quadrupling of foreign direct investments over the past years, Africa is positioning itself as an attractive market for alternative investments, not only in terms of financial returns but also in terms of social returns. Private sector development is essential in order to achieve a better healthcare system in Africa, and over the past number of years the private health sector has outperformed general economic growth, showing great potential. IFHA’s investment strategy takes into account that investing in healthcare in Africa is inherently risky. Onno discussed these challenges and the need for a new development paradigm.