By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, July 22 2026 - Equity Group Holdings and Amref International University (AMIU) have entered into a five-year strategic partnership aimed at producing a new generation of healthcare entrepreneurs capable of strengthening primary healthcare systems across Africa.
The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), brings together Equity Group's financial inclusion expertise and Amref International University's strengths in health sciences education, research and innovation to bridge one of Africa's biggest healthcare gaps, transforming highly skilled health professionals into sustainable healthcare business leaders.
The collaboration will focus on healthcare leadership development, entrepreneurship training, research, innovation, community health programmes and financing solutions for health professionals seeking to establish and expand healthcare enterprises across the continent.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Equity Group Managing Director and CEO Dr James Mwangi said improving healthcare requires more than medical expertise alone.
"Health cuts across every sector because good health drives productivity, and productivity creates prosperity. We have invested significantly in expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare, but we recognize that achieving meaningful impact requires working with specialized institutions," said Dr Mwangi.
He noted that one of the partnership's key objectives is equipping doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers with business management skills needed to build financially sustainable health facilities.
"Doctors and other healthcare professionals are highly skilled practitioners, but entrepreneurship requires a different set of competencies. Together, we want to develop healthcare entrepreneurs who can establish and grow sustainable health facilities supported by innovative financing solutions," he added.
The initiative comes as African countries continue grappling with shortages of healthcare professionals, inadequate health infrastructure and growing demand for quality primary healthcare services.
According to Amref International University Vice Chancellor Prof. Joachim Osur, strengthening primary healthcare is central to improving health outcomes across the continent.
"Nearly 80 per cent of Africans seek healthcare at the primary healthcare level. If we transform primary healthcare, we will transform healthcare across the continent while promoting greater equity in access to health services," Prof. Osur said.
He observed that many qualified healthcare professionals possess strong clinical knowledge but often lack the entrepreneurial skills needed to commercialise their expertise or establish viable healthcare enterprises.
"The missing link has been transforming knowledge into monetized products through entrepreneurship. Many qualified healthcare professionals struggle to fully utilize their expertise because they rely solely on formal employment," he said.
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Under the agreement, AMIU will provide expertise in curriculum development, health sciences education, research, innovation, internships, mentorship and capacity building.
Equity Group, through Equity Bank Kenya, Equity Group Foundation, Equity Afya and Equity Life Assurance Kenya, will complement this with healthcare infrastructure financing, entrepreneurship support, insurance literacy, community health programmes, climate and health initiatives, humanitarian research and experiential learning opportunities.
The collaboration is also expected to promote scientific research, healthcare innovation and leadership development while expanding opportunities for health professionals to create businesses capable of addressing Africa's growing healthcare needs.
The partnership aligns with broader continental efforts to strengthen primary healthcare as governments work toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the African Union's Agenda 2063.
Amref International University, established under Amref Health Africa, has positioned itself as a Pan-African institution focused on producing health professionals equipped to respond to Africa's unique health challenges through competency-based education, research and community-centred solutions.
For Equity Group, whose investments already include the Equity Afya healthcare network and broader health financing initiatives, the agreement represents another step in expanding its role beyond banking into social impact and human capital development.
By combining finance, education and healthcare innovation, the two institutions hope to create a pipeline of healthcare entrepreneurs capable of improving access to affordable, quality healthcare while generating sustainable employment and strengthening community health systems across Africa.