West African Health Foundation

What West African Health Foundation does

West African Health Foundation (WAHF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded on February 17, 2001 in New York by a group of physicians in response to preventable health failures affecting women and children in West Africa, particularly Ghana. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY with operational concentration in Juaben in Ghana's Ashanti region, WAHF delivers healthcare through community health education seminars (covering maternal/reproductive health, malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sanitation, and nutrition), malaria prevention (distributing 12,000+ insecticide-treated bed nets since 2005), medical supply donations to Ghanaian health institutions (since 2002), and annual medical mission trips that ran from 2003 to 2019. WAHF partners with Ghana Health Service, Juaben District Hospital, the Juaben Traditional Council (which donated 10 acres of land), Columbia University Urban Design Lab (green hospital design, 2013), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for training and research.

The organization's core infrastructure is the WAHF Eye Institute in Juaben, a state-of-the-art ophthalmic surgical center 90% complete as of June 2026 and equipped with slit-lamp biomicroscopes, digital fundus cameras, phacoemulsification systems for cataract surgery, and vitreoretinal surgical setups. The facility is engineered as a solar-powered 'green hospital' incorporating solar PV arrays, battery storage, solar-assisted hot water, and medical gas systems (O2, N2O, vacuum) for operating theatres, designed in collaboration with Columbia University. A planned 250-bed tertiary Hospital of Excellence on the same 10-acre site represents the next phase of infrastructure expansion, intended to include postgraduate training and ICT-enabled learning capabilities via the KNUST partnership.

WAHF operates on a purely donation-funded, non-fee-for-service model. Revenue streams consist of tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporate sponsors processed via the Network for Good platform, an annual Walk-A-Thon across the Brooklyn Bridge, annual cocktail fundraising events with live music and auctions, and paid cultural fundraising trips to Ghana priced at $4,995 (double occupancy) or $5,995 (single occupancy). Approximately $650,000 had been raised cumulatively toward Eye Institute construction as of 2024 against an $800,000 completion goal, with 100% of donations directed toward the build. WAHF employs 11-50 staff under physician-led board governance and currently serves rural and underserved communities in Ghana's Ashanti region facing high rates of preventable blindness (330,000+ Ghanaians affected), malaria, and limited access to specialist care.

Name

West African Health Foundation

Legal name

West African Health Foundation

Website

https://wahealthfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

West African Health Foundation is a New York-based non-profit founded in 2001 that delivers healthcare services, health education, and malaria prevention programs to underserved communities in Ghana and West Africa. It is constructing a 90%-complete Eye Institute in Juaben, Ghana, with plans for a 250-bed tertiary Hospital of Excellence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Public health outreach
• Ophthalmic care services
• Malaria prevention programs
• Community health education
• Medical mission services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: WAHF operates as a non-profit organization relying on tax-deductible donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate sponsors. Donations are processed through Network for Good platform and go directly toward construction of the Eye Institute and healthcare programs.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Revenue generated from fundraising events including annual Walk-A-Thons, cocktail fundraisers, and cultural trips to Ghana. The 15th Annual Fundraising Cocktail Event and Ghana fundraising trips (July 30 - August 7, 2025) at $4,995-$5,995 per person represent additional revenue streams.
3. Ghana Trip Fundraising: Fundraising trips to Ghana that combine cultural experiences with health fair participation, priced at $4,995 double occupancy or $5,995 single occupancy, with proceeds supporting Eye Institute construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

West African Health Foundation (WAHF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that delivers free medical and public health outreach to underserved communities in West Africa, primarily Ghana. Its offerings include the WAHF Eye Institute (a state-of-the-art ophthalmic surgical center under construction in Juaben), a Health Education program covering preventive medicine and infectious diseases, a Malaria Control program distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, and a Medical Supply donation program providing medications and equipment to Ghanaian health institutions. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries through donations, volunteer medical missions, and partnerships with local institutions.

Product overview

The West African Health Foundation (WAHF) offers a portfolio of healthcare programs and services focused on underserved communities in West Africa, particularly Ghana. The core offerings include: the WAHF Eye Institute (a specialty ophthalmic hospital currently under construction in Juaben), Health Education programs covering preventive medicine, Malaria Control initiatives with bed net distribution, Medical Supply donations, and planned Medical Missions. The foundation is working toward establishing a 250-bed Hospital of Excellence as a long-term vision. These programs are delivered through community outreach, volunteer medical missions, and partnerships with local healthcare institutions, rather than through a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAHF Eye Institute | Hospital A state-of-the-art ophthalmic care and surgical center under construction in Juaben, Ghana, designed to provide advanced clinical and surgical services, diagnostics, research, and community programs dedicated to eye health and prevention of avoidable blindness. The facility targets cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and uncorrected refractive errors, and is approximately 90% complete as of June 2026.
• Health Education Program A comprehensive public health and preventive medicine education program established in Juaben, Ghana, covering maternal/reproductive health, infectious diseases (Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis), sanitation, nutrition, and emerging diseases. Delivered through didactic seminars to community members.
• Malaria Control Program A malaria prevention initiative operating in Juaben, Ghana and surrounding villages since 2005, providing free insecticide-treated bed nets, health educational seminars, and early symptom recognition training. Over 12,000 free bed nets have been distributed to date.
• Medical Supply Program A program donating medications, surgical supplies, medical equipment, and computers to health institutions in Ghana since 2002, seeking to acquire and distribute medical supplies for clinics and hospitals across West Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 free Insecticide Treated bed nets distributed to prevent malaria
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Columbia University Urban Design LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2013Columbia University Urban Design Lab is working with WAHF to design a 'green' hospital for the Eye Institute project. Their team visited the land site in February 2013 to provide architectural design services for the eco-friendly facility.
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAHF is partnering with KNUST in Kumasi to develop post-graduate and professional training programs for healthcare workers, establish an ICT-enabled learning and distance education center, and conduct collaborative research in public health, clinical science, medicinal plants, epidemiology, and disease prevention.
• Juaben Traditional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Juaben Traditional Council, led by Nana Otuo Siriboe (Juabenhene), donated 10 acres of land in Juaben for WAHF's Eye Institute and future Hospital of Excellence project. The Chief has been a visionary supporter of the initiative.
• Juaben District HospitalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal healthcare partner collaborating with WAHF during annual medical missions and health outreach programs. WAHF worked with the hospital staff during mission trips from 2003-2019.
• Local Community Leaders and VolunteersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth leaders and volunteers from Juaben and surrounding communities collaborate with WAHF on mission trips, health fairs, and community outreach programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fred Hollows Foundation: Fred Hollows Foundation is a global eye health nonprofit that builds sustainable ophthalmic infrastructure in developing countries, including Africa. It is comparable to WAHF in mission, target population, and approach of building local clinical capacity.
• Orbis International: Orbis operates a global network of eye care programs, including the flying eye hospital and long-term country programs in Africa. WAHF's Eye Institute mirrors Orbis's approach of building sustainable ophthalmic surgical capacity in low-resource settings, making it a direct peer.
• Operation Eyesight Universal: Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization working to eliminate avoidable blindness, with active programs in Ghana and other African countries. It is a direct peer on ophthalmic service delivery in West Africa.
• Sightsavers: Sightsavers is an international NGO that prevents blindness and promotes equality in dozens of developing countries, with a strong focus on West Africa. It is a direct peer to WAHF given comparable mission (avoidable blindness), beneficiary base (underserved rural populations), and ophthalmic intervention model.
• HCP Cureblindness: HCP Cureblindness (formerly Himalayan Cataract Project) focuses on high-volume cataract surgery and ophthalmic infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries. Its model of building specialty eye centers and training local clinicians closely parallels WAHF's Eye Institute mission.
• Light for the World: Light for the World is an international disability and eye health NGO working across Africa, including ophthalmic service delivery and inclusive healthcare. Its scope and operating model closely parallel WAHF's mission.

Others

• Ghana Health Service: Ghana Health Service is the government body providing public health services and is a partner/beneficiary stakeholder of WAHF programs. It is not a peer in the competitive sense but a key ecosystem participant for clinical coordination and epidemiological data.
• Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is a major tertiary referral hospital in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. As a future referral and academic partner for the Eye Institute and planned Hospital of Excellence, it is a relevant ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• African Eye Foundation: African Eye Foundation focuses on eye care delivery and training across sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to WAHF, it has a broader geographic mandate but a similar ophthalmic specialty focus.

Emerging players

• Right to Sight: Right to Sight is a global nonprofit coalition working to eliminate avoidable blindness through clinical training and infrastructure. It overlaps with WAHF's focus on ophthalmic capacity-building in underserved regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wahealthfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West African Health Foundation