{"id":112981,"date":"2025-10-13T13:55:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T13:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/africa-in-urgent-need-of-digital-health-solutions-experts"},"modified":"2025-10-13T14:02:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T14:02:24","slug":"africa-in-urgent-need-of-digital-health-solutions-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/africa-in-urgent-need-of-digital-health-solutions-experts","title":{"rendered":"Africa in urgent need of digital health solutions – experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I reviewed the great moments in medical history, two discoveries stood out: the discovery of vaccines in 1796 and antibiotics in 1928,\u201d Rwanda\u2019s Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, said at the opening of summit. \u201cThe third, I believe, is what we are living through today, artificial intelligence applied in medicine. This moment is just as historic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials pose for a photo at the fourth edition of the Africa Health Tech Summit, taking place from October 13-15.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Urging African countries to embrace technology rapidly, Nsanzimana said, \u201cWe have two choices, to slow down the speed of technology or to run fast and catch up so we move together.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited Rwanda\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s newly launched National Health Intelligence Centre, for example, provides real-time monitoring of health systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine a minister sitting in one room and seeing what\u2019s happening across hospitals, a mother bleeding during childbirth and you can call for help instantly. That\u2019s what health tech should do for us: detect quickly, prevent before catastrophe happens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nsanzimana also called for greater integration and cooperation, emphasising that digital health systems must be interoperable, and so must people.<\/p>\n

Dr Raji Tajudeen, Deputy Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said that of Africa\u2019s 55 countries, with about 1.5 billion people, are not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, with just five years remaining.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the reasons are not far from a lack of infrastructure, for which digital health is a core component,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Delegates visit a mini exhibition at the fourth edition of the Africa Health Tech Summit, taking place at Kigali Convention Centre from October 13-15.<\/p>\n

He noted that Africa CDC has launched a Digital Health Transformation Agenda to create \u201ca connected, secure, intelligent, collaborative, and trusted ecosystem\u201d linking disease surveillance, epidemic intelligence, and primary health care.<\/p>\n

\u201cData is the oxygen that sustains every health system. Data informs policy, planning, and practice at all levels,\u201d Tajudeen said.<\/p>\n

He noted that most African countries lack legal frameworks to manage health data effectively, creating mistrust that hinders data sharing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Ojielo commended Rwanda\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

He also noted that building a trusted, secure digital health ecosystem requires collaboration, interoperability, ethical governance, and investments in local talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 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,\u201d Ojielo said.<\/p>\n\r\n