Africa's digital health transformation strategy

The digitisation of services in Africa has been steadily growing, with its impact ranging across various sectors, including financial inclusion, business growth, education, and healthcare. Reid Marsh of CNBC Africa recently spoke to Jean Philbert Nsengimana of CDC to delve into Africa's digital transformation strategy for the coming years. Nsengimana highlighted the potential of technology to revolutionize healthcare in Africa, drawing parallels with how mobile technology transformed financial inclusion. He emphasized the need for technology to play a similar role in reimagining healthcare on the continent. As the conversation delved into the funding aspect of this digital health transformation, Nsengimana pointed out that the groundwork for these advancements is already being laid, with initiatives like 'Health Connect Africa' aiming to connect all health facilities by 2030. Governments, private investors, and development partners are all contributing to these efforts, with a call for increased and more efficient investment in key areas. Nsengimana stressed the importance of coordination, elimination of fragmentation, and promotion of scalability and interoperability of solutions within the healthcare sector. The strategy aims to bring together existing projects and accelerate investments for a more impactful outcome. Reflecting on the disparities in healthcare access within regions, Nsengimana outlined the strategy's focus on equity and prioritizing areas with the most significant needs. By digitizing primary care and promoting connected diagnostics, the strategy aims to improve access, early diagnosis, affordability, and quality of care across Africa. The flexibility of the strategy was highlighted, with the intention to adapt and evolve in alignment with the rapidly changing technological landscape. Nsengimana emphasized the importance of agility in staying relevant and effective in the digital age. Looking ahead, challenges in infrastructure, investment, capacity, and mindset were acknowledged, with strategic projects in place to address these issues. The soft challenges, including mindset shifts and effective communication of the benefits of digital transformation in healthcare, were also highlighted. Nsengimana called for a collective belief in the transformative power of technology in healthcare and emphasized the need for effective communication of data and evidence to garner support and drive change. Regulatory interventions, such as the implementation of frameworks like the continental free trade area, were identified as critical in fostering a collaborative and competitive healthcare ecosystem across Africa.