NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu

Ghana’s long unsung health tech sector is getting global validation with two of its most promising startups being named among five winners for one of the most prestigious social enterprise awards in the world.

Accra-based mPedigree and mPharma will each receive $1.5 million from this year’s Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, they were among just five winners from around the world and two of the three from Africa. The prize will enable them to build their scale and grow impact.

MPedigree uses a simple text message code that helps customers verify the authenticity of medicines. Across the developing world, fake medicine is a widespread problem which  leads to deaths and is a major contributor to drug resistance, one of the world’s most pressing public health concerns.