Access to genuine, affordable medicines remains a pressing challenge across Africa, particularly for patients with chronic, complex, or rare medical conditions. HubPharm Africa, a Nigerian health startup, is bridging this gap.
Targeting urban and semi-urban middle-class individuals, elderly patients, and families, HubPharm addresses lack of continuity in care, absence of trusted medication sources, limited health education, and difficulties in managing prescriptions or follow-ups.
In this edition of Techparley’s DRIVE100, we turn our attention to HubPharm Africa, and how it is transforming access to medicines and personalised care through its AI-powered digital pharmacy and doorstep delivery services.
“HubPharm Africa is a digital pharmacy and health technology company committed to improving access to genuine, affordable medicines and personalized care for people with chronic, complex, and rare medical conditions,” Temitope Kareem, CEO & Co-founder told Techparley.
A Tech-Driven, Patient-Centric Solution
HubPharm Africa’s integrated ecosystem combines a digital pharmacy, AI-driven personalised care, and doorstep medicine delivery. At the heart of the solution is Afiya, a multilingual AI health companion on WhatsApp, offering:
- Medication management with instant and automated refills.
- AI-powered health guidance, including reminders, lifestyle advice, and refill support.
- Doorstep delivery of genuine medicines.
- Health coaching and chronic disease monitoring.
The benefits include improved medication adherence, reduced hospital readmissions, lower healthcare costs, and enhanced convenience for patients, particularly in areas with limited infrastructure or digital literacy.
“We solve the problem of limited access to quality healthcare and medication adherence, a major challenge across Africa, where millions of patients struggle with fake drugs, poor follow-up care, and rising treatment costs,” Kareem said.
What Sets HubPharm Apart
Unlike competitors such as Awadoc or Gabbi Doc, HubPharm offers an end-to-end chronic care solution. Its combination of digital pharmacy, AI health companion, and doorstep delivery provides holistic support from prescription to home, making it accessible, affordable, and inclusive.
Since inception, HubPharm Africa has made significant strides:
- Reached users in 15 countries via Afiya.
- Served over 10,000 patients with thousands of prescriptions fulfilled.
- Maintained a customer retention rate above 80%.
- Secured strategic partnerships with HMOs, NGOs, and healthcare providers.
- Received recognition from Standard Chartered Women in Tech, FCMB Her Accelerate, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Key milestones include launching the e-pharmacy and refill platform, developing Afiya in partnership with AWS, and establishing a physical fulfilment centre in Lagos. The startup’s hybrid model of digital, AI, and physical infrastructure ensures strong scalability and patient impact.
Meet the Team
HubPharm Africa is led by a multidisciplinary team:
- Temitope Kareem (CEO & Co-founder) – Licensed pharmacist with over 12 years of experience in clinical and retail pharmacy; former leader of Nett Pharmacy.
- Sesan Kareem (Co-founder & President) – Pharmacist, management consultant, and former Regional Sales Manager at Pharmaplus Nigeria.
- Ope Okesola (CTO) – Technology expert overseeing AI, digital infrastructure, and cloud integrations.
The team’s combined expertise in healthcare, business, and technology positions HubPharm to tackle Africa’s chronic disease challenges with sustainable, tech-driven solutions.
Overcoming Challenges
Funding constraints, infrastructure limitations, and digital literacy gaps remain hurdles. Building trust in AI-driven healthcare also required awareness campaigns and patient education. HubPharm addresses these through:
- Partnerships with NGOs, HMOs, and government bodies.
- Multilingual engagement via WhatsApp.
- Community health education initiatives.
- Scalable AWS-based digital infrastructure.
In the next 6–12 months, HubPharm aims to reach 100,000 active users across Africa and the diaspora, expand digital pharmacy operations to three additional Nigerian states, and launch new chronic care subscription plans.
Over 2–3 years, the startup plans nationwide coverage, serving 1 million users, and establishing strategic fulfilment centres for last-mile delivery.
In five years, HubPharm aims to become Africa’s leading digital health and pharmacy platform, serving over 3 million patients and creating 300+ jobs, setting new standards for accessible, data-driven healthcare.
What This Means
Africa’s digital health market is growing at a remarkable pace, as the revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 7.26%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$7.26bn by 2030.
This surge is being driven by increasing adoption of tele‑healthcare, mobile health technologies, and remote monitoring, especially as African health systems face severe pressures from a rising burden of chronic disease and a shortage of medical professionals.
Experts say HubPharm Africa exemplifies how technology, personalised care, and innovation can transform healthcare. By combining digital pharmacy, and AI health companions, the startup is improving medication adherence, enhancing health outcomes, and making healthcare accessible for millions.
Talking Points
It is impressive that HubPharm Africa has combined digital pharmacy, AI-powered health support, and doorstep delivery to address major barriers to healthcare access in Africa, particularly for patients with chronic, complex, or rare conditions.
This integrated approach positions HubPharm as a practical solution for real healthcare challenges, especially for middle-class and elderly patients navigating fragmented health systems and unreliable access to genuine medicines.
At Techparley, we see how solutions like this can accelerate digital health transformation beyond urban centres, ensuring that underserved communities receive continuous, affordable, and reliable care.
The integration of AI health assistants, medication management, home delivery, and chronic disease monitoring means patients can now manage their conditions with the same level of support as those in well-resourced healthcare systems.
With the right strategic support, HubPharm has the potential to become a catalyst for healthcare accessibility and improved outcomes across the continent.
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