Biomedical engineering
solution to respiratory care which is robust to environmental conditions that cripple imported machines. Perhaps most provocatively, the KeySuite Surgical System12
exposes the absurdity
of African surgeons relying on prohibitively expensive equipment when a locally engineered solution costs 90% less. These examples pose a radical idea: maybe African hospitals don’t need handouts, just fair access to innovation capital. The path forward demands more than aid; it
requires development of Africa’s engineering and innovation ecosystems to build a strong, sustainable health technology research and development base. This requires investment in people, infrastructure and regulatory infrastructure. Universities across Africa are training graduate engineers skilled in the development of health technologies. The African Biomedical Engineering Consortium (ABEC)13
founded in 2012 with the vision of building and nurturing academic, technical, innovation and entrepreneurship competencies. The enthusiasm and potential here is
clear; a case in point is shown in Figures 1-6, where undergraduate engineers take part in a workshop to learn how to assemble, quality check and market the LeVe CPAP device (discussed above) at Makerere University Biomedical Research Centre. Using these real- world examples of locally-produced medical technology helps to positively reinforce the notion that innovation can, and should, be driven by local biomedical engineers who understand their local environment and needs. Delft University of Technology developed 3 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)14 to provide theory and practice to maintain, troubleshoot and repair medical devices, as well as guidance on management of this equipment, such as budgeting and procurement. To date, over 20,000 learners have completed one or
Figure 5. Completing assembly of the LeVe CPAP device.
more of the TU Delft online courses, with the majority coming from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). For those from LMICs, it is possible to receive a certificate for only $5. Students have indicated that the courses strengthened their skill set and their knowledge about biomedical engineering practices. TU Delft plans to develop a MOOC about the use of 3D printing in global healthcare soon, to increase awareness and capacity on these potentially impactful practices. This is part of TU Delft’s ambition to support the expansion of the global biomedical workforce. Meanwhile, countries like Ghana, Nigeria and
Uganda are pioneering the development of streamlined regulatory and approval pathways for locally relevant devices,15
providing an
alternative to international regulation which can be prohibitively expensive, time consuming and inappropriate for local innovators. Similarly, establishing high-quality (accredited) medical device manufacturing facilities within Africa completes the pipeline and will enable local production, improving resilience and building socio-economic capital.
So how can the international biomedical engineering community help develop Africa’s engineering and innovation ecosystems? As this piece attests, solutions exist. However, we must recognize that sustainable global healthcare won’t come from donations, but from empowering those who understand these challenges best, African innovators and engineers themselves. Accordingly, we make the following recommendations: l Academic institutions in high-income countries should partner with consortia like ABEC to embed reciprocal learning in undergraduate biomedical engineering programmes
Figure 4. The LeVe CPAP device. 32
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I June 2025
l Professional Associations like the IMechE must work globally to support the development of allied associations in Africa and strengthen local capacity
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