Africa Molecular Diagnostics - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

Africa Molecular Diagnostics - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Africa Molecular Diagnostics Market size is estimated at USD 349.28 million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 504.68 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.64% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Some of the key factors driving the growth of the molecular diagnostics market in Africa include the growing demand for point-of-care diagnostics in the region, the growing burden of bacterial and viral diseases, and countries receiving funding from international organizations in the molecular diagnostics space.

The high disease burden in Africa creates a strong need for accurate and rapid diagnostics. For instance, an article published by Dove Press in July 2022 stated that, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), prevalence rates ranging from 14.7% to 82% were reported in countries like Nigeria, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Children under the age of five have the highest risk of bacterial as well as viral infection in the region. Transmission is via the fecal route, either directly through person-to-person contact or indirectly through contaminated food and water. To cope with the rising burden of bacterial diseases, the region's diagnostic industry is taking steps that are expected to boost the demand for the molecular diagnostics market in Africa.

Furthermore, African countries are getting assistance from various organizations and associations, which is a beneficial factor in market growth. For instance, in July 2022, the World Bank approved a USD 100 million support program for the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) to enhance the institution’s technical capacity and strengthen its institutional framework to intensify support to African countries to prepare for detecting and responding to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. With such funding from international organizations, the market for molecular diagnostics is expected to grow strongly during the forecast period.

Many African regions lack well-equipped healthcare facilities and trained personnel. There is a large gap between diagnostic needs and diagnostic access across much of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly for infectious diseases that inflict a substantial burden of morbidity. For instance, in an article published by PLOS Digital Health in June 2022, at least 50% of the population does not have access to essential health services. Advances in molecular diagnostics can accelerate healthcare provision toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), bringing high-quality diagnostics and decision-support tools to the point of care. Hence, in the African region, many people lacking essential health services will further raise the need for molecular diagnostic services with the help of government initiatives anticipated to fuel the market's growth in the forecast period.

However, the high cost of disease diagnostics and the lack of trained healthcare professionals are expected to hamper the market growth in the coming years.

Africa Molecular Diagnostics Market Trends

Oncology Segment is Expected to Witness a Strong Growth During the Forecast Period

Key factors propelling the growth of the oncology segment include the rising burden of cancer in African countries, the growing reach of the companies in the region, and the rising focus on early disease diagnosis.

The rising burden of cancer is expected to fuel the segment's growth during the forecast period. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in February 2023, approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases occurred each year in Africa. There is a considerable increase in cancer mortality to nearly one million deaths per year by 2030. The rising cases of cancer are augmenting the demand for early cancer screenings in the region, which is expected to boost the demand for molecular diagnostic products for cancer diagnosis.

Furthermore, there is a growing focus on various African initiatives in the cancer molecular diagnosis space, propelling the segment's growth. For instance, in August 2023, the Cancer Access Partnership, a collaboration between the African Cancer Coalition, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the American Cancer Society, was formed as a part of the cancer diagnosis initiative. Such initiatives are believed to contribute largely to the demand for molecular diagnostics for cancer detection, which is believed to propel the segment's growth over the forecast period.

South Africa is Expected to Hold a Significant Share of the Market

South Africa is the largest developing country in the African region. The country has witnessed a significant transformation in the past few years due to the rising focus of companies on investing in this developing economy.

The growing use of point-of-care diagnostics in South Africa and the rising burden of chronic diseases are expected to propel the demand for molecular diagnostics in the country. For instance, as per the data from the National Institute of Health published in July 2022, it was observed that the prevalence of HIV in the country was around 14.0% during the year 2022. Furthermore, it is estimated that over 7.9 million people in the country are affected with HIV currently. As HIV patients are more prone to various chronic and infectious diseases, the demand for molecular diagnostics products is expected to increase in the country during the forecast period.

Additionally, increasing product launches with advanced features are expected to drive the studied market. In January 2022, South African biotech startup BioCODE, headquartered in Cape Town, determined the rapid test of an individual's risk for developing early-stage cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The test was implemented during the year 2022.

Additionally, in November 2023, through Africa PGI 2.0, Africa CDC shifted its focus from emergency response to building an optimized, resilient, and integrated molecular diagnostic and genomic surveillance ecosystem. Also, Africa PGI 2.0 focuses on strengthening Africa's molecular diagnostic, genomics, and bioinformatics ecosystem. Hence, with the government's implementation of such tests and initiatives to focus on molecular diagnostics in the region, the market for molecular diagnostics is expected to grow in the coming years.

Africa Molecular Diagnostics Industry Overview

The molecular diagnostics market in Africa is moderately competitive in nature. This is mainly due to the rising investment of global companies in African countries, which show several growth opportunities. With the rising expansion strategies that the companies are implementing, it is expected that several small and mid-sized companies will penetrate the market and hold a substantial share in the future. The major players in the market are Abbott Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Siemens Healthineers, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Nihon Kohden Corporation, among others.

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