Dave and I were commissioned a few weeks ago to do the photography and videography for Africa Health, Africa’s largest healthcare exhibition and congress, held at the Nasrec venue in Johannesburg, South Africa. What a phenomenal, 3 day event. It soon became clear that this is a unique platform for any healthcare manufacturer or distributor who aims to reach the medical market in sub-Saharan Africa.
Launched in 2011 to cater to healthcare professionals and medical trade buyers, Africa Health is endorsed by the South African Medical Association and is partner to Arab Health, the largest healthcare exhibition and congress in the Middle East and second largest in the world.
No less that 368 exhibitors filled the 8,760 square metres of floor space with attractive, engaging stands. Siemens led the way as the foundation sponsor, featuring a constant buzz of professional interaction and followed by gold sponsors Drager and CSC, in addition to a select group of other partners and sponsors including the likes of SAI Infosystem, Sonoscape, Maquet, Karl Storz, Scientific Group, Fujifilm, Lodox, Stiegelmeyer, Pic Solution and Narang Medical.
Siemens also showcased my personal favorite piece of equipment in the form of this giraffe design MOBILETT XP, the “New Dimension in Mobile X-ray Imaging”, which is “ideally suited for all applications in the ICU, neonatal and pediatric departments or in the ward”.
There were 51 countries represented, including 12 country pavilions, 3,956 attendees and 3,145 visitors, along with 811 delegates and 164 speakers at the congress, hailing from all around the world.
As you can imagine, the smooth organisation was no mean feat, expertly managed by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions. Another feather in their cap was the 37% growth in the event over last year, much appreciated by the many exhibitors who were participating for the second time, havcing rebooked over 35% of the exhibition space on-site for 2012.
A number of the speakers who we interviewed for the event video spoke eloquently about the challenges, misconceptions and requirements inherent in the sub-Saharan African healthcare industry. The importance of providing quality healthcare services is hitting home, with governments apparently increasingly exploring public-private partnerships, especially in the face of poor demographic conditions and the persistent presence of disease.
If Africa Health 2012 is anything to go by, future events will be even more important for healthcare professionals, with the focus intended to embrace infrastructure developments, as well as drug supply, especially in primary healthcare.
For a comprehensive selection of images, please feel free to browse the gallery on our official website at OV&P Professional Digital Imaging.
