Mobile healthcare or m-health is defined as all kinds of healthcare services provided with wireless communication devices such as mobile phones or mobile diagnostic devices. Recently ICT-based healthcare industry is emerging as an effective means of improving healthcare infrastructure in developing countries. On the other hand, Korean m-healthcare industry that has outstanding technology such as hospital information systems, electronic medical record management platforms, and mobile-based diagnostic devices faces premature domestic market and lack of related laws and institutions. It is also hard to create markets in other advanced economies because most Korean m-health companies are small- to medium-sized start-ups and other advanced economies have the similar market environment.
  Public healthcare service in developing countries is promising to the firms because m-health technology is easily accepted due to fewer regulations and less social interest conflict. In addition, governments of developing countries and international development agencies have strong demand for m-health to develop public healthcare infrastructure.
  This study analyzes the status and prospects of m-health industries in Kenya and Rwanda, which are the major countries in East Africa and research the cooperation approach of the Korean government and m-health enterprises. The paper also includes detail information about local cooperative government’s m-health and healthcare policy, current m-health projects and strategies of major donor countries and multilateral developing agencies, and technology and market status of the mobile health industry in Korea. Based on the local and industrial information, we suggest policy implications to design a new development cooperation project from which both cooperative governments that need improvement of healthcare services and Korean m-health companies that seek new markets mutually benefit.
  Kenya, an emerging ICT giant in East Africa through huge fin-tech (mobile–base finance service) success and Rwanda, a leading country having great experiences in its development cooperation projects are accomplishing various m-health projects to improve public health system by fostering mobile healthcare technology from the government level.
  We also examine Korean m-health firms’ technology and examples of projects in developing countries. There are two groups depending on company size, entry items, market entry projects and strategies: start-ups developing mobile healthcare devices and large enterprises and hospitals that focus on mobile healthcare platform and database.
  Since most projects in Africa are led by partner governments, especially healthcare projects, a partnership with local cooperative governments is most important. It is also important to maintain a good partnership with other donors in Africa to carry out m-health base development cooperation projects.
  Strategic region or country should satisfy the following criteria: regional integration and similarity among governments and industries, government’s wills, and business potential of scale-up. We also suggest disease and patients’ information sharing system and portable diagnostic devices as strategic areas of product and technology among various areas of mobile healthcare industry. It is necessary to select and discuss areas that harmonize the policies and strategic plans of partner country governments.
  From the m-health industrial point of view, it is vital to focus on collecting data and obtaining references to advance technology in the long term, in addition to expanding the public health sector procurement market. Enhancing policymakers’ m-health technical understanding can support the link between development aid projects and the mobile healthcare industry.
  Korea’s m-health ODA cooperation with African countries will also provide Korea with strategic cooperation opportunities with partner countries that place their economic development priority on the ICT industry. For Korea, it will be worthwhile to pay close attention to the multiplicative potentials forming in the m-health sector for Africa.