According to the Local Investment Commission (EIC), more than six thousand patients travel annually, mainly to India, Thailand and the United States, to undergo treatments including orthopedics, cancer, cardiovascular procedures, kidney transplant, neurosurgery and ophthalmology.
These costs amount to over $120 million per year as many advanced laboratory and pathology tests are currently unavailable in the country, a situation that also affects other African countries.
The EIC found that there are more than 28,000 healthcare providers in the country, an insufficient number for the growing population: the ratio of 0.3 hospital beds per thousand inhabitants is one of the lowest in the world.
At the tertiary level of healthcare, there are only 364 hospitals, of which only 17 percent are private, leaving a huge gap for private healthcare providers to serve the emerging middle class, the commission highlighted on its official website.
85 percent of the latter are located in the capital and offer healthcare providers in the interior of the country significant opportunities.
Given these prospects, the EIC aims to attract investment in the health sector and leverage Addis Ababa’s potential to become a regional health hub in Africa.
The strategic location in Africa and the network created by Ethiopian Airlines that connects this capital with more than 120 countries and the entire continent, as well as investment opportunities in tertiary hospitals, advanced diagnostics and laboratories, powerful public health services and the development of skilled workers, are attractive for future ones Entrepreneur.
The EIC also highlighted the government’s strong commitment to improving healthcare delivery through the implementation of Ethiopia’s Second Health Sector Transformation Plan, which aims to promote private investment in strategic areas.
He explained that the Ministry of Health is committed to working with investors and ensuring the successful implementation of the projects.
In this context, the Commission will provide investors with all necessary services during their pre-implementation, setup and operation journeys.
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