Central Baltic Health Access - Dissemination Seminars

Central Baltic Health Access is an EU-funded program that aims to help health care companies access distant markets. The program started 2.5 years ago, and has helped more than 50 companies in the partner countries reach markets in India, South Korea, Uganda and the US. 

Swedish companies presenting at InnoHealth in New Delhi, September 2017

The dissemination seminars are part of the finalizing activities, and last week we met with companies who have entered India and Uganda through the program, as well as companies and organizations interested in learning from their experiences. The idea of sharing expericence and lessons learned proved to be just the right thing:

After having completed my post-graduate studies, I realized that I had, in fact, learned more from my classmates than from my coursework. This is similar to my experience when participating in, and sometimes even leading, Swecare seminars. When considering markets like South Korea, Uganda, India, and the US, the companies need us mostly as a platform to connect with each other and to potential local partners. This might seem trivial at the outset, but if you look for opportunities to meet possible competitors or like-minded companies interested in similar markets at a neutral setting, hosted by an organization without its own agenda - you may come up empty-handed. And this has really been the strength of the Central Baltic Health Access program from the outset.

The dissemination seminars are meant for the companies who participated in the trips, but Swedish Medtech and Swecare decided to extend the invitation to all the companies in our networks which may be interested in the chosen markets. The participating companies thus got the chance to share their experiences and also meet new potential allies in their efforts to enter a new market. It also gave us the chance to discuss concrete activities to ensure that the momentum of our relationships, with each other, the target market coaches, and local partners, could result in concrete deals.

Follow-up trips to all four countries are already being planned so make sure not to miss out! So far Swecare has plans for delegation trips to Bangalore, India (February 14-16) and Uganda and Rwanda (March 19-23). Contact us for more details.

CBHA Uganda Business Mission visiting International Hospital Kampala, August 2017

CB Health Access Business Mission to Uganda - Mission Accomplished

Six companies from Finland and Sweden attended a business mission to Uganda in August 2017 to meet with local hospitals, distributors and NGOs. The business visit was organized in cooperation with Uganda Healthcare Federation, and under the framework of CB Health Access, a joint program between Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia, which supports health technology companies entering distant markets.  

 

During the business mission to Uganda, the companies visited large and smaller private hospitals and clinics, distributors and NGOs. One-to-one meetings were set up to explore collaboration opportunities, and the companies presented their solutions at a conference of over 120 participants, most of whom were private-sector health care providers and distributors.
 “I was positively surprised by the level of business opportunities in Uganda, after travelling extensively in Southern Africa for many years. I’m coming back!” said Roland Nilsson, president of Pansanté, a Swedish company offering a sustainable clinic and hospital concept. The other companies also admitted to having rather low expectations prior to the mission, but interest towards their solutions and the number of concrete leads by far surpassed what they had expected. Uganda’s economy has grown strongly over the recent years, with a growing middle class demanding higher quality healthcare. The country has a large private sector in healthcare, accounting for approximately 50% of healthcare expenditure. The government funds allocated to healthcare have steadily increased, but out-of-pocket spending still remains high. Health insurance coverage is also on the rise. 

Participants of the Business Forum in Kampala

All participants were also very satisfied with the target market coaching that was provided in preparation to the business mission. “Thank you, Uganda Healthcare Federation and CB Health Access partners. You’ve worked very hard to make these days valuable to our businesses, which has led to some very tangible opportunities for us!” said Nina Nilsson, from Bactiguard, whose solution helps reduce healthcare associated infections. Kasperi Kankare from an ophthalmology device company Icare Finland Oy stated that the mission has led to a steep learning curve and adds: “I love how one of the potential clients understood the business case, and I’m now eager to continue discussions with them”. The partners of CB Health Access together with Uganda Healthcare Federation will continue to support the companies, to help them reach results on the Ugandan market.

Study visit at International Hospital Kampala

CB Health Access program was initiated in 2016 between Estonian, Finnish, Latvian and Swedish technology organizations to support entrepreneurship in health technologies. The program facilitates the entry of Estonian, Latvian, Swedish and Finnish health tech companies to distant markets – South Korea, USA, India and Uganda. CB Health Access provides the companies with an introduction of the target market, individual coaching both from the home country and from target market experts, market information, business missions, and identifying and contacting potential partners, and business missions. The program has a strong focus for the companies to achieve sales in the chosen market. The program is financed by Central Baltic Interreg Program.

For more information on the CB Health Access program see https://www.cbhealthaccess.eu/, or contact: Maarika.Merirand@tehnopol.ee, Malin.Hollmark@swedishmedtech.se,  or Anna.Riby@swecare.se

Business Mission till Kampala med CB Health Access

Nu har vi hunnit pusta ut och komma i kapp efter hektiska dagar i Kampala. Swecare är partner i ett EU-finansierat projekt, Central Baltic Health Access to Distant Markets (CBHA), där varje partners i Estland, Finland, Lettland och Sverige valt en avlägsen marknad var. För företag som antagits till programmet ingår coachning på hemmaplan och av en lokal coach samt en "business mission" till resp. land. Eftersom Swecare har ett gott samarbete med Uganda Healthcare Federation valde vi Uganda.

UHF är en branschorganisation för privata hälso- och sjukvårdsaktörer, och en del av East Africa Healthcare Federation. De har många och goda kontakter i landet, inte bara i den privata sektorn - som är mycket stor i landet och står för 60% procent av hälso- och sjukvården, utan även i den offentliga sektorn och akademin. På så sätt är de en perfekt partner till Swecare! Den lokala coachningen har skötts av Mark Achola, med många års erfarenhet av affärsutveckling och av hälso- och sjukvårdsmarknaden i Östafrika.
 

Glada delegater och representanter från Uganda Healthcare Federation

Nåväl, i resan deltog fyra svenska företag och två finska nämligen Bactiguard, MedCard Apps, Pansanté, Seedoo och Ikare och Turku University of Applied Science. Dessutom var representanter för projektkoordinatorn i Estland med oss. På programmet stod studiebesök på bl a Joint Medical Stores, en not-for-profit organisation som erbjuder inköp, distribution samt service och underhåll; Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute; Kampala Imaging Center sist på eftermiddagen Uganda Healthcare Marketing Group som jobbar med folkhälsa, supply chain och franchising av kvalitetssäkrade s.k. Good Life Clinics över hela landet.

På JMS stora centrallager

Tisdagen omfattade den viktigaste delen i hela besöket, nämligen en konferens med stor uppslutning från den ugandiska sidan. Totalt var vi 120 deltagare som lyssnade till inledning av UHF:s styrelseordförande Dr. Mugisha, följt av Ms Evelyn Gitonga från PharmAccess’ stiftelse Medical Credit Fund. Hon pratade om utmaningarna med att finansiera sin verksamhet och vad man som företagare inom hälso- och sjukvård bör tänka på innan man fattar ett investeringsbeslut. Medical Credit Fund, som finns i Östafrika och är ett ”financial access supply chain company” för små- och medelstora sjukvårdsföretag.

Hälsningar från alla deltagarna i tisdagens konferens!

Efter presentationer från projektpartnerna var scenen öppen för företagen att presentera sina lösningar. Det uppstod stort intresse och under eftermiddagens match-making ringlade köerna stundtals långa för att diskutera vidare med företagen. På kvällen hade vi en trevlig middag med personer från UHF:s styrelse, Anna-Maria Olsson från Svenska ambassaden i Kampala och Daniel Okello från Public Health Directorate på Kampala Capital City Authority.

Den tredje dagen ägnades åt fler studiebesök, där International Hospital Kampala var först ut. Swecare har besökt sjukhuset, som räknas bland de absolut främsta i landet, flera gånger, så det var roligt att träffa dem igen. Företagen fick enskilda möten med ledningen, och vi fick också en intressant rundtur.

Delegationen besöker International Hospital Kampala och Col. Bhagat, VD

 
Vi besökte också ett par andra, lite mindre sjukhus som varvades med separata uppföljningsbesök för företagen.

Vi fick titta in i operationssalen på Mukwaya Hospital

På kvällen hölls en avslutande middag, där vi konstaterades att programmet var välplanerat, gav många kontaktytor till hälso- och sjukvårdssektorn och att intresset för företagens lösningar var mycket stort. De flesta företagen erkände att de haft ganska låga förväntningar, men att intresse och antalet konkreta deals med råge överträffade det förväntade. Genom CBHA programmet kommer Swecare och coach Mark stötta företagen i uppföljningen av kontakter och satsning mot den ugandiska marknaden. Vi vet förstås att det tar lång tid, men hoppas på goda affärer för alla företagen!

Vacker vy från Mengo Hospital

Focus on one sector in which Sweden excels – Healthcare

When trying to penetrate a new market, it would be prudent to start with a sector in which your country excels, both in expertise and in execution. Such was the conclusion of a recent study, exploring the obstacles faced by Swedish companies looking to invest in Ethiopia. Swecare had the privilege of hosting the first of a planned series of seminars on healthcare in Ethiopia at which we were honored to hear Amen Hultström discuss the study she conducted with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Addis Ababa. To her, one thing is clear, Swedish exports to Ethiopia will not be successful unless all key actors are aligned – private companies, non-governmental agencies, and public officials.

On the ground, recent revisions to the health policy should further facilitate collaborations within the healthcare sector. Ethiopian Ambassador to Sweden, Woinshet Tadesse, stressed that addressing the double disease burden is a top priority for the Ethiopian government. Tremendous investments in infrastructure and human resources have been made with the hopes that they will offset the alarming increase in both infectious and non-communicable diseases in the country. From three medical schools twelve years ago to 29 public and 8 private institutions now, the progress is impressive, but Ambassador Tadesse will not rest on these accomplishments and implores the Swedish medical communities to engage now, building on the current momentum. Access to care, universal coverage, and improvements in quality are of primary concern.

Dr Liyew’s experience as a frequently visiting doctor confirms the government’s engagement and stresses the need for high end medical equipment on the ground. When visiting Black Lion Hospital from Danderyd Hospital, his biggest challenge is logistical. In an ideal world, he would be purchasing all the specialized equipment on site.

There are also exciting plans for a HealthCity, outside Addis Ababa, in which Swedish companies dealing in waste management, construction, and green energy could collaborate. So while the focus would be healthcare, an entire ecosystem would have to be activated. This is where the Swedish experience could have most impact.

The next seminar will focus on the specific issues most threatening the Ethiopian people.

[Please contact us should you wish to read the full report conducted by Sozo Consulting.]

Lovande resultat av delegationen till Uganda och Rwanda

Så här två månader efter delegationsresan till Uganda och Rwanda var det i går eftermiddag dags för ett uppföljningsmöte. Rwandas ambassadör Christine Nkulikiyinka var vänlig nog att ta emot oss på ambassaden i Stockholm. Representanter från AS-Faktor Lantmännen, Helseplan, MedcardApps, Socialdepartementet och UD deltog, och så Swecare förstås. Ambassadören hälsade alla välkomna och sa att hon hoppades att få höra våra intryck och erfarenheter från resan. Hon poängterade också att hon står till förfogande om något av företagen önskar hjälp, t ex kontakt med hälsoministeriet.

Swecares uppfattning av resan kan sammanfattas som att vi är nöjda med resan som hade en bra blandning av företag, att vi haft ett gott samarbete med Rwandas ambassad här i Stockholm, god kontakt med Ugandas ambassad i Köpenhamn, och de svenska ambassaderna i Kampala och Kigali. Denna resa, som delfinansierades av UD:s projektexportsekretariat, var mer företagsorienterad än resan hösten 2014. Av den anledningen hade vi B2B-workshops istället för större konferenser, vilket varit uppskattat av företagen.  Vi har ju haft kontakt med företagen sedan resan, och tycker det är roligt de flesta fick så goda kontakter och att uppföljning pågår.

Socialdepartementet nämnde att detta var andra resan till Rwanda och tredje till Uganda, med representation från departementet. Denna gång var det statssekreterare Agneta Karlsson som ledde resan. Politisk representation skapar engagemang och personliga kontakter, som underlättar framtida samarbete även på den globala arenan.

UD poängterade att Sverige vill se mer samarbete med den privata sektorn i bl a Rwanda och Uganda, både handel och investeringar, och det är därför man stödjer detta typ av resor som kan hjälpa små och medelstora företag att få marknadskännedom och relevanta kontakter på olika nivåer. De svenska ambassaderna i Kampala och Kigali hade också en hälsning till företagen - att de är välkomna att kontakta främjarna på ambassaderna, om man tror att ambassaden kan vara behjälplig i kontakter mot ministerier eller på annat sätt.

Sedan berättade företagen om sin uppfattning om resan och vad den fört med sig hittills. De företag som inte kunde delta igår har redogjort för detta direkt till Swecare, så deras resultat fördes också fram på mötet. Alla företagen upplevde att det var stort intresse för deras lösningar. I något fall var responsen bättre i Uganda, i något annat bättre i Rwanda. Vi kan också konstatera att alla företagen fått kontakter som de har eller ska följa upp, både inom privat och offentlig sektor. Ett av företagen har faktiskt en representant på plats i Rwanda just nu! Rent konkret ser det positivt ut för flera av företagen, med fler uppföljningsbesök på gång, och kanske avtal inom en ganska snar framtid.

Ambassadör Nkulikiyinka kommenterade vart och ett av företagens uppföljning, och poängterade igen att ambassaden gärna hjälper de svenska företagen i konkreta frågor, och i kontakterna mot Rwanda för att om möjligt för att snabba på processerna. Sedan bjöd hon in oss till en god och väl tilltagen buffé och mingel, som avslutning på denna trevliga sammankomst.

Besök från Busia County i Skara

Swecares medlemsbolag CAS AB som gör pre-fab hus hade bjudit in Busia County Government i Kenya till Sverige för att planera ett stort projekt de ska genomföra. Busia County och CAS AB planerar att under året genomföra ett pilotprojekt där 300 hus ska byggas för att bli bostäder och skolor, planen är sedan att dubbla antalet hus i en nästa fas. Inför besöket till Sverige bad CAS AB även Busia County att uttrycka om det fanns andra områden än boende specifikt som de ville passa på att träffa när de var i Sverige vilket ledde till tema dagarna: hälsa, rent vatten, solenergi, jordbruk och sophantering.  Då CAS AB är baserade i Skara har lokala företag i Västra Götalands regionen bjudits in. 

Tisdagen hade hälsotema där vi fick i uppdrag att berätta om Swecare, svensk hälso- och sjukvård och svenska lösningar som Kenya kan vara intresserade av.  

Morgonen startade med en presentation av Bengt-Inge Brodén, VD och grundare av CAS AB som uttryckte sin glädje av att ha den Kenyanska delegationen i Sverige. Efter det presenterade Kenyas ambassadör i Norden, Dr Joe Sang affärsmöjligheter i Kenya och utvecklingen i landet. De hade 2015 en GDP growth rate på 6%. 

Ambassadören poängterade även Kenyas strategiska geografiska position och goda partnerskap i regionen genom East Africa Community och COMESA- frihandelsavtal.  Sverige importerar för ca 270 miljoner SEK i dagsläget och främst  kaffe, te och snittblommor. Swecare introducerar gärna bolag intresserade av Kenya till deras ambassad här i Stockholm som gärna finns till hjälp. Det finns ca 50 svenska bolag i Kenya.

Efter att ambassadören presenterat gav Busia County Secretary Mr Nick Mulaku en presentation kring deras behov inom hälso- och sjukvård vilket listades ned till åtta punkter som kan sammanställas till utrustning och kunskapsöverföring och e-health lösningar.

Representanter från Västra Götaland regionen presenterade områden där samarbeten med Busia kan ske och senare under eftermiddagen gav även Götene kommun en presentation om samarbeten.

Det väcktes ett stort intresse från Busia County för svenska lösningar inom hälso- och sjukvård där bolag som har varit med på våra delegationer i Afrika presenterades samt kontaktuppgifter förmedlades. Media var på plats för att dokumentera besöket. 

Nu ser vi framemot att se hur CAS AB husen i Busia County får solpaneler och rent vatten via svenska lösningar och hur deras utmaningar inom hälso-och sjukvård blir lösta med svenska innovationer! 

Murakoze Kigali

The last day of the delegation started with an introduction to private health insurance in Rwanda, by the Rwanda Health Insurers Association. 93% of the population is covered by the public health insurance, but there are a few private health insurance companies as well. For them, the three main challenges are to mitigate fraud, to increase the level of training in management of health insurance and to improve systems and software for monitoring of the patient network. The existing open health information management system is only for epidemiology and statistical purposes and not for patient journals, management or administration. 

The day's big event was the workshop organized in collaboration with Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), a government agency assuring the implementation of the government's plans and policies; and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) - the national one-stop shop for investment and establishment of business in the country. 

The workshop was opened by Chargé d'Affaires Maria Håkansson, the Permanent Secretary of the MoH, Dr Solange Hakiba and the Swedish State Secretary Agneta Karlsson. The three ladies all talked about this being not the first but the second step (as it's the second health care delegation to Rwanda) on a journey of new relations between Sweden and Rwanda, and about the importance of private and public sector collaboration. The PS mentioned that there are gaps in tertiary care and super specialities such as diagnostic services, cardiology, oncology and nephrology, where the private sector could join forces with the public. 

The General Director of RBC James Kamanzi expressed the hope that we would see great partnerships and concrete business as a result of the workshop, while Hubert Ruzibiza of RDB explained what business opportunities there are within health care, such as pharma, advanced equipment for medical tourism and specialty services. 

After a nice coffee break outside the conference room, we split into groups, where the Rwandan participants were matched with the Swedish companies. The groups had interesting discussions on the topics of NCDs, health care infrastructure and maternal and child health, and the Swedish solutions were presented in more detail. The workshop ended with a nice buffet lunch. 

After that, the delegation visited the Independent University of Kigali, which is just about to start construction of a Medical School, a 388-bed teaching hospital and a 245-bed superspecialty hospital. Excavation has started, construction is expected to start at the beginning of next year and the buildings will be finished in 3 years. Of course this means that equipment, IT systems etc have to be procured - an opportunity worth looking further into. 

During the wrap-up meeting at the Embassy, Swecare got valuable feed-back on what has worked well during the delegation but also some ideas for improvement, such as letting first-time participants listen to tips and tricks from more seasoned delegates during the intro meeting. 

The very last part of the program was an innovation pub hosted by Swedish company Globhe, coordinator of global health security projects, at the Impact Hub Kigali - a fun way to finish the delegation! So thank you, Kigali, until next time - murakoze!

Swecare returns to Uganda

For the benefit of our non-Swedish speaking readers, this blogpost is in English. 

Yesterday the third Health Care Business Delegation to Uganda started with an introductory meeting for the delegates. The delegation is organized by Swecare, the Swedish Embassy in Uganda and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, and is headed by the State Secretary of Health and Social Affairs, Ms. Agneta Karlsson. In Uganda we have a program for Monday and Tuesday morning. Then the delegation continues to Rwanda, in cooperation with the Embassy in Kigali.

This morning started with a meeting at the MoH, where we met with high-level officials in relevant areas. After introductions by Ambassador Urban Andersson, State Secretary Agneta Karlsson and Swecare CEO Maria Helling, as well as welcoming words by the Ministry of Health, we divided for break-out sessions, and had interesting discussions on the topics of infrastructure of health care, NCDs (non-communicable diseases) and mother & child health. When the whole group convened again, the discussions were summarized. The next steps include a meeting with the Minister, the Swedish State Secretary and the directors of the technical groups present in the meeting. Continued contact with the company representatives were encouraged, for which the Swedish Embassy offered to assist. 

Next was a very informative meeting with the Aga Khan Development Network, represented by Ms. Erfa Alani, liaison officer and seven of her colleagues. The Aga Khan Development Network works within many areas, where health care is one. In Uganda, there is Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries, Jubilee Medical Insurance and four outreach centres offering medical consultations, including some specialities and lab services among other things. Aga Khan University has a school for nursing and midwifery which will be expandad with a medical school and a university teaching hospital. 

For lunch the delegation met with representatives of the World Bank and the African Development Bank. We got general information about the two organizations and their strategies for the coming years, and well as specific information about their procurement processes. A lot of information can be found on their websites (WB and ADB), so remember to check those if you are interested in e.g. upcoming tenders. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a match-making workshop with members of the Uganda Healthcare Federation. The media interest in the workshop was quite big, and both the State Secretary, Swecare's CEO and several of the companies were interviewed by television and the press. After welcoming words by Maria Helling and Grace Kiwanuka and Dr. Ian Clarke from UHF, everyone introduced themselves and we split up in groups for coffee and discussions. The Swedish companies presented their products or services, and got many detailed questions regarding their solutions.

The long day was rounded off with a nice reception in the garden of the Ambassador's residence. This gave the Swedish companies and other delegates another possibility to connect with stakeholders of the Ugandan health care sector. In addition, the guests could also take a close look at the CASAB clinic, that was put up in the garden for this occasion, and where some of the companies also presented their products. Judging from the way people were chatting and mingling, we hope and believe that many business contacts were made this evening - just as we hoped for!

 
The Swedish companies participating in Uganda delegation are Astra Zeneca, CAS AB - Clean Analytical System AB, Elekta, Getinge Group, Globhe, Helseplan Consulting Group AB, Hemocue, Lantmännen AS-Faktor and Medcard Apps AB. The delegation has received funding from the Office for Project Export of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.