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Africa’s healthcare system is drowning in paperwork and starving for data-driven solutions. Yet, amid this malaise, Adeolu Arogundade, a leading voice in Africa’s digital health movement, is here to inject digital efficiency into the continent’s ailing healthcare and put technology at the backbone of a reformed system.
At GITEX Africa, the continent’s biggest tech fair running from April 14 to 16 in Marrakech, Arogundade will join a host of health innovators eager to challenge the status quo, and put forward bold ideas to dissect the current healthcare system and show exactly where technology can fill the gaps.
Arogundade is the president of The Society for Telemedicine and eHealth in Nigeria (SfTeHIN), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. His work focuses on AI-powered diagnostics, telemedicine, and data analytics — all aimed at making healthcare smarter, faster, and more accessible.
In his view, tech is a tool that policymakers and industry leaders have been slow to take up despite its mega potential. “African leaders and policymakers cannot jump on the bandwagon of technology for the sake of technology,” Arogundade told Morocco World News (MWN).
“They must weigh every novel digital tool to see the sustainability, scalability, and adaptability to the peculiarity of the environment.”
Many solutions, imported from developed nations, fail to hit Africa’s unique – almost bumpy – healthcare terrain. Research backing the efficacy of digital interventions remains thin. And past experiences with donor-funded pilot projects – abandoned once the money dried up – have left a bitter aftertaste.
But the real Achilles heels is the infrastructure. Digital health demands more than software. It requires extra power, broad connectivity, and upskilled personnel.
These are luxuries in much of Africa, where healthcare facilities still function with paper records and on-and-off power grids. “The elephant in the room,” Arodundade said, “is the poor information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in many African countries.” So the challenge is not only adoption but adaptation – putting in place tech solutions that work despite these setbacks.
Interoperability could be the golden ticket. Arogundade draws parallels with America’s march to digital health, where a mix of incentives and regulatory nudges finally pushed the sector forward. Africa, he said, must follow a similar path.
“The journey from a paper-based system to a paperless system takes time and patience,” he explains. Success stories will be key – tangible proof that digital tools are not just theoretical marvels but cost-cutting, life-saving necessities. Governments must do their part too, offering incentives for digitization while ensuring that technology is accessible beyond urban hubs.
Artificial intelligence and blockchain – a seductive pairing – promise to upend healthcare delivery. AI-driven diagnostics could place specialist expertise in the hands of local health workers, while blockchain ensures medical records remain tamper-proof and portable. Yet, without thoughtful implementation, such innovations could deepen the digital divide rather than bridge it.
“While these digital tools have the potential to enhance health access, they also have the potential to widen the already existing digital divide,” Arogundade warns. The key lies in designing for the user intuitive tools that are affordable and backed by local support networks.
Arodundade insists that the future belongs to those willing to experiment. Africa’s youth avert the status quo: They have already disrupted fintech, music, and film. Healthcare is certainly next in the line.
But progress will not be a happy accident. It requires laying down a favorable infrastructure, sound investment, and intelligent regulation. Each solution will be tailored to local realities, not blindly borrowed from the West. “We must not be afraid to try things differently and learn from our experiences,” he said. “We must document our experiences and share knowledge so that we can collaboratively surmount the obstacles we see today.”
The future of digital health in Africa isn’t some far-off possibility. Transformation is well underway with tech at the heart of the strategy.
