About the KHICA

Introduction

Innovation is a vehicle that facilitates disruption through which new avenues and solutions to existing challenges are created. Innovation also opens up new ways and opportunities for collaboration and brings order to disruption. Innovations have provided solutions to various challenges in developed and developing communities that directly impact public health, curative health, and mortality, among other health aspects, Indirectly, innovation impacts social, economic, and political aspects of all communities. Healthcare challenges, unmet healthcare needs, and advances in healthcare create a need to innovate as part of solution finding.

Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya in collaboration with Kenya UK Alliance (KUKHA) presents to you the 1st Annual Kenya Healthcare Innovation Challenge Awards (KHICA). The Kenya Healthcare Innovation Challenge Annual Awards (KHICA) will, on an annual basis, acknowledge, promote, support, and encourage innovations in healthcare. The vaccine development technologies and the speed at which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed are a testimony to the value of healthcare innovations. The COVID-19 vaccine was developed at a ‘break-neck speed’ owing to novel and innovative technologies.

Goals and Objectives

  • Provide a home for healthcare innovation for many years to come.
  • To provide a home where healthcare innovations are celebrated.
  • To provide a platform for inventors to learn.
  • To provide a platform for investors to invest in new healthcare technologies.
  • To encourage the ‘solution-finding-mind-set’ from young age Local solutions for local challenges.
  • To provide mentorship and handholding for new inventors, a path from Idea to product.

Methodology and Approach

KHICA team will put out healthcare innovations call to the public. KHICA has selection criteria for which all applications will be held. The select the readiest ones. The winners will be chosen from the selected group. In addition to the winnings, KHICA in conjunction with partners will hold a full day of classes to educate the inventors on business, legal, marketing, accounting, pitching, etc. processes. To tool the applicants for entrepreneurial success. All applicants will be eligible for these classes.

The second day will include a time for select innovations to be highlighted, free public healthcare services to all, and announcing the prize winners. The service component is to instill the service to others to all the inventors and partners. Students from various levels of our educational system will be invited to see and participate in the challenge. The goal is to include students from all educational levels from year 2 of KHICA awards onwards.

Prize packages are still in development and will depend on the partners and what they bring.

Expected Results

We expect the process will yield 5-10 solid ideas which, together with our partners, will provide the needed support. Some entrepreneurs will get funded to continue with their journey to produce a product.