Africa in urgent need of digital health solutions - experts

Experts have emphasised that Africa is at a historic moment in medical innovation, with technology offering a unique opportunity to transform healthcare delivery to its 1.5 billion people. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s plan to fast-track digital transformation by 2026 They said this during the fourth edition of the Africa Health Tech Summit, taking place at Kigali Convention Centre from October 13-15. The three-day event brought together more than 1,800 experts, innovators, and policymakers from across the continent to explore solutions and strategies for transforming healthcare in Africa. “When I reviewed the great moments in medical history, two discoveries stood out: the discovery of vaccines in 1796 and antibiotics in 1928,” Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, said at the opening of summit. “The third, I believe, is what we are living through today, artificial intelligence applied in medicine. This moment is just as historic.” ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s new health intelligence centre could transform healthcare The minister noted that AI can now detect diseases early and support better clinical decision-making. However, he emphasised that technology alone is not enough. Skilled personnel are still needed to use it effectively. Urging African countries to embrace technology rapidly, Nsanzimana said, “We have two choices, to slow down the speed of technology or to run fast and catch up so we move together.” He cited Rwanda’s Zipline blood delivery system as an example of innovation that has become lifesaving. He also noted that digital health technology can help detect and respond to disease outbreaks faster. Rwanda’s newly launched National Health Intelligence Centre, for example, provides real-time monitoring of health systems. “Imagine a minister sitting in one room and seeing what’s happening across hospitals, a mother bleeding during childbirth and you can call for help instantly. That’s what health tech should do for us: detect quickly, prevent before catastrophe happens,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda turns to digital clinics to address healthcare worker shortage Nsanzimana also called for greater integration and cooperation, emphasising that digital health systems must be interoperable, and so must people. Dr Raji Tajudeen, Deputy Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said that of Africa’s 55 countries, with about 1.5 billion people, are not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, with just five years remaining. “Some of the reasons are not far from a lack of infrastructure, for which digital health is a core component,” he said. He noted that Africa CDC has launched a Digital Health Transformation Agenda to create “a connected, secure, intelligent, collaborative, and trusted ecosystem” linking disease surveillance, epidemic intelligence, and primary health care. “Data is the oxygen that sustains every health system. Data informs policy, planning, and practice at all levels,” Tajudeen said. He noted that most African countries lack legal frameworks to manage health data effectively, creating mistrust that hinders data sharing. “When there is no trust, people are reluctant to share data. What Africa CDC is doing is to put in place a continental health data governance framework that will build the necessary trust and allow member states to seamlessly share their data.” For Ozonnia Ojielo, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, the digital divide is more than just an issue of access to technology. He said it is an equity gap that hampers data-driven decision-making and perpetuates inequalities in healthcare delivery. Ojielo commended Rwanda’s leadership in digital governance and highlighted initiatives such as electronic medical records, the Timbuktu Health Tech Hub, and homegrown innovations like Telehealth 2, which improve access to essential healthcare. He also noted that building a trusted, secure digital health ecosystem requires collaboration, interoperability, ethical governance, and investments in local talent. “Our technological ingenuity must serve a singular goal, ensuring that all people have access to quality health services when and where they need them, without financial hardship and leaving no one behind,” Ojielo said.

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Africa in urgent need of digital health solutions - experts