Ilara Health: Helping primary care clinics across Africa deliver better healthcare (2024)

Feb 28, 2024

By the Philips Foundation team

In Africa's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, access to quality diagnostic services remains a critical challenge, particularly in underserved communities. Ilara Health, a health technology enterprise based in Kenya, is part of Philips Foundation's impact investments. It is addressing the healthcare gap by integrating financial models with technology to provide primary care clinics in Africa with essential diagnostic tools, pharmaceuticals, and digital platforms. With additional strategic support from Boehringer Ingelheim, and DOB Equity, Ilara Health is setting new standards for accessible and affordable healthcare in Kenya, and beyond.

Philips Foundation recognizes the vital role social entrepreneurs play in bridging global healthcare disparities with their innovative solutions. To spotlight their unique approaches and achievements, we launched a series of feature articles that delve into their journeys. Through these stories, we aim to showcase how these entrepreneurs are transforming healthcare in underserved communities and inspire others to join their mission.

In the bustling markets and remote villages of Africa, quality healthcare is often a luxury inaccessible to many. Ilara Health emerged as a transformative force, founded in 2019 by Emilian Popa, Maximilian Mancini, and Sameer Afzal Farooqi, with a mission to democratize access to healthcare. By integrating quality diagnostics with digital solutions, they’re changing how healthcare is delivered, making it more accessible, affordable, and reliable for millions.

At the heart of Ilara Health's mission lies the empowerment of small, independent clinics – a cornerstone of healthcare access for many Africans. "Our goal is to assist independent providers in delivering superior healthcare through access to essential equipment and digital services," explains Maximilian Mancini underscoring the enterprise’s dedication to bolstering the capacities of local healthcare providers.

By acknowledging these local providers as vital entrepreneurs themselves, Ilara Health’s model facilitates service expansion and the improvement of patient care.

Facing the challenges of an overburdened public healthcare system, the focus is on serving the upper-lower income demographic, offering a viable alternative to public sector care which often falls short of what is needed. "We're only talking about the lower income segments of the population and what we're ultimately trying to do is give them an alternative to public sector care," explains Emilian Popa, CEO and co-founder.

But what distinguishes Ilara Health's approach from others? How unique is Ilara Health in its approach?

Innovative blend of technology and finance

Ilara Health stands out for its innovative approach, blending technology and specialized financial mechanisms to support essential healthcare services in Africa. Their model of embedded loans addresses the financial challenges faced by small healthcare facilities, allowing them to acquire state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. For example, embedded loans often come with the flexibility of deferred payments, allowing healthcare facilities to start generating revenue with the new equipment before needing to make significant payments.

This not only promotes clinical expansion but also significantly boosts their financial stability, making its strategy a game-changer in healthcare delivery within the socio-economic regions in which they operate.

In complimentary to Access Afya's comprehensive healthcare model – an investment of Philips Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation, which encompasses both physical clinics and digital health services in Kenya – Ilara Health focuses on enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of primary care clinics.

This focus is crucial, especially given the digital gap in healthcare. A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that only 50% of healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have reliable electricity [1], let alone advanced diagnostic equipment or digital health record systems.

The primary healthcare landscape in Africa is particularly challenging when it comes to digitization. A report by the Commonwealth Fund sheds light on the disparities in technological access and adoption among primary care practices [2], especially in underserved communities. This lack of infrastructure greatly hampers improvements in quality of care and the effectiveness of diagnosing and treating conditions.

Ilara Health's initiative directly tackles this issue by offering both the technological tools and the financial support needed to bridge this gap, facilitating a significant step towards digitization in areas where it's most essential. “In the end, their approach closes the technological divide while improving the economic viability of vital healthcare providers,” Margot Cooijmans, Director of Philips Foundation Impact Investments says. “By offering affordable access to diagnostic tools, Ilara Health enables previously underserved communities to have access to these essential resources.”

This sets their operating model apart from other health technology initiatives and aligns with the broader goal of achieving universal health coverage in Africa. Ultimately, it ensures that primary care clinics can better serve their communities with increased efficiency.

Social entrepreneurs at heart

Ilara Health's ambition stretches beyond Kenya's borders, with plans to partner with thousands of clinics across Africa. Already, the organization boasts partnerships with over 3,000 clinics, serving more than five million patients annually [3]. Their expansive network is a testament to Ilara Health's effective model and its scalable impact on healthcare delivery across the continent.

Social entrepreneurs at heart, the team behind Ilara Health is motivated by more than just business success. Maximilian Mancini captures the essence of their journey: "As long as what we're building – that fluffy, hairy idea that is difficult to conceptualize on day one – generates positive change alongside some level of sustainable return, then you really hit the sweet spot."

As Ilara Health looks to the future, it remains committed to broadening its impact through the introduction of employee health services and further expanding its clinic network. "We came about by one common goal; to improve the quality of healthcare for Africans," says Emilian Popa, reaffirming their foundational mission.

This joint investment in Ilara Health by Philips Foundation Impact Investments and co-investors, underscores the power of collaboration in driving significant improvements in healthcare.“We are delighted to be a co-investor in Ilara Health: by combining our capital and non-financial capabilities, we can support the continued success of Ilara Health. Our investment will focus on providing access to diagnostics and medical services for clinics in underserved communities, so that they can better address the needs of their patients", Christian Bausch, Associate Director at Boehringer Ingelheim Social Engagement, recaps.

With the continued support of global investors and a determined commitment to innovation, Ilara Health is poised to redefine primary healthcare in Africa, striving to ensure that quality healthcare becomes accessible to all.

Margot Cooijmans: ”Ilara Health's innovative model, supported by our combined efforts with Boehringer Ingelheim and DOB Equity, exemplifies the strength of collective investment in tackling healthcare challenges. It's a testament to how strategic alliances can amplify impact, moving us closer to universal healthcare access.”

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[1] WHO (2023). Electrification of health-care facilities
[2] The Commonwealth Fund (2019). The case for investing in primary care
[3] The estimation of serving 5 million patients annually is based on the capacity of 3,000 clinics supported by Ilara Health. Each clinic has the potential to attend to 5 to 10 patients daily, across approximately 260 working days in a year.

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Feature story Community and primary care Primary healthcare General health Community health tools Integrated solutions

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