Frost & Sullivan: Replacement of Old Equipment Boosts Kenyan Medical Imaging Industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The medical imaging market in Kenya is set for steady growth over the next five years, driven by an aging population demanding greater access to imaging and diagnostic procedures. However, price sensitivity and competition in the market remain high due to the sizeable capital investment required to purchase imaging systems and the financial constraints faced by many healthcare institutions in the country.

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.medicaldevices.frost.com), Strategic Analysis of the Medical Imaging Industry in Kenya, finds that the X-ray market earned revenues of US$25.3 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach US$43.1 million in 2014. The analysis also examines the market for ultrasounds (differentiating between 2D and 3D/4D systems) and CT scans (single-slice and multi-slice).

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at patrick.cairns@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brief brochure will be sent to you by e-mail.

“Growth in the x-ray market will be driven mainly by the installation of digital systems as well as the introduction of picture archiving communication systems (PACS) to the Kenyan market,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Jolize Gerber. “Doctors and patients in Kenya are becoming more aware of the benefits of digital x-ray systems, hence placing a greater demand on authorities to upgrade hospitals’ existing systems.”

The Kenyan government launched an initiative in 2007 to replace old equipment and acquire new imaging technologies in public facilities. This initiative, together with increased training provided to radiologists in Kenya, will act as drivers in this sector.

Although traditional analogue radiography (AR) systems still account for a dominant share of the market, growth in the medium term is expected to be driven by high adoption rates of computed radiography (CR) systems in a move towards digitisation.

“Over the long term, Frost & Sullivan expects higher adoption of digital radiography (DR) systems, since this technology significantly lessens the waiting time for both patients and radiologists, and ensures a much lower repeat rate,” adds Gerber. “We also anticipate an increased adoption of PACS integrated with DR systems, as this would help healthcare facilities to store and transfer digital images as well as allow an easy transition from analogue to digital.”

Despite these developments, concerns about the effects of radiation caused by x-ray screening are growing in Kenya. These rising concerns are related to improved education and improved awareness about the effects of radiation as well as the increased cases of cancer detected in Kenya.

“Mounting concerns about the radiation effects derived from imaging devices such as x-rays are causing patients to hesitate about coming for repetitive scans,” remarks Gerber.

Apprehensions about the effects of radiation can be alleviated by efforts to control x-ray use. This includes training of radiologists in dose reduction software and hardware. Doctors also need to be educated to refrain from prescribing repetitive scans when it is not absolutely necessary. Encouraging healthcare institutions to invest in the use of digital technologies will further enable them to be able to control the dose of radiation emitted during scans more effectively.

Strategic Analysis of the Medical Imaging Industry in Kenya is part of the Medical Devices Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Strategic Analysis of the Healthcare Industry of Kenya, Competitive Dynamics in the South African Medical Imaging Market, Key Sub-Saharan African Ultrasound Markets and Hospital Purchasing and Reimbursement for Medical Devices in Key Sub-Saharan African Countries. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

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Strategic Analysis of the Medical Imaging Industry in Kenya M38A Contact: Patrick Cairns Corporate Communications - Africa P: +27-18-468-2315 E: patrick.cairns@frost.com

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Source: Frost & Sullivan

Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications - Africa of Frost & Sullivan, +27-18-468-2315, patrick.cairns at frost.com. Logo: https://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO