Tag: eHealth Africa

A non-governmental organisation, eHealth Africa, along with its partners in digital health and youth innovators, has called for systemic, sustainable financing and collaborations in addressing health challenges, correcting misinformation, and empowering adolescents to make healthier decisions independently.

They made the call at the Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF) in Kenya, during a Salon Session hosted by eHealth Africa with Population Services International, Reach Digital Health, the Bay Area Global Alliance, and the Africa Hub for Innovation and Development.

The multi-stakeholder session titled, “Digital Interfaces to spur behavior change in health among adolescents in Kenya and Beyond”, provided a platform for behavioural science, cultural storytelling, and digital technology to create engaging health solutions through the platforms young people already use; mobile phones, chatbots, and others.

According to a statement signed by Communications Manager, eHealth Africa, Favour Oriaku, during the session, speakers emphasized the need for governments, innovators, youth leaders, and experts to quickly align with the rapid advancement of digital and emerging AI solutions.

They reiterated that these tools must be culturally resonant, available across languages, and accessible even in low-connectivity settings to ensure true inclusion.

Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Atef Fawaz, said that with digital access expanding and particularly as many youths now own a phone or a combination of devices such as tablets and laptops, this was the right moment to push for that behavioural change.

He said, “It’s an opportunity to leverage technology to address health barriers, correct misinformation, and empower adolescents to make healthier decisions independently.

“We firmly believe that progress is driven through collaboration and co-creation, especially with international and local organisations and, most importantly, with young people.

“We encourage investment in digital literacy for youth, supporting local developers, and enabling communities to drive their own content and innovation rather than importing external models.”

Also speaking, Director of Partnerships and Programs, Ota Akhigbe, said the conversation aligned directly with the strategy of eHealth Africa, which centres on using digital innovation to address real community challenges, especially for adolescents. 

Akhigbe said, “They allow us to leverage digital tools that meet adolescents where they already are: on their phones and online.”

She added that eHealth Africa remained committed to scalable, data-driven solutions that strengthen local health ecosystems and support healthier futures.

Director of Partnerships and Growth, Reach Digital Health, Carlos Yerena said: “For AI to move from promise to practice, it must be built on sustainable, well-connected systems and designed around clear, context-specific requirements.

“We must ensure that AI is applied to real use cases that genuinely address the needs of young people.”

A non-governmental organisation, eHealth Africa (eHA) has called for sustainability of emergency operation centers, renewable energy integration and digital innovation in primary health care.

Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Atef Fawaz said this during the International Conference on Primary Health Care (ICPHC 2025) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The conference which was attended by global leaders was aimed at driving conversations on digital transformation, public health infrastructure sustainability, renewable energy for better healthcare delivery and health system resilience across Africa.

Themed “Advancing Primary Health Care in the 21st Century: Putting People First,” the event brought together thought leaders and innovators committed to strengthening primary health care and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Speaking on eHealth Africa’s participation, Fawaz, noted that the theme of this year’s ICPHC aligned with the organisation’s mission of building human-centered solutions to advance primary healthcare in underserved communities.

In a statement signed by the Communications Manager, eHealth Africa, Favour Oriaku, Fawaz said: “At eHealth Africa, we believe technology and data should serve people.

“This is the rationale behind the interventions like establishment of emergency operation centers, renewable energy for primary healthcare, climate resilient digital solutions and smart tools for vaccination campaigns, which were all presented to partners at the ICPHC.”

Highlighting the importance of sustainability and local ownership especially for the public health emergency operation centers across Africa, Kazeem Balogun, Deputy Director, Supply Chain Management for eHealth Africa said: “We must see Emergency Operation Centers not just as polio infrastructure, but as integrated public health command centers.

“Our goal is to build systems governments can sustain not donor-driven facilities, but national assets embedded within primary health care structures.”

Sharing the overview of the establishment of Emergency Operation Centers that kicked off from Nigeria to over 24 African countries, Anthony Edozieuno, Program Manager for Public Health Emergency Management at eHealth Africa said, what began in Nigeria has evolved into a multi-country model that strengthens emergency coordination across Africa.

This according to him is a true testament to shared learning and partnership.

Temitayo Tella-Lah, Program Manager Climate Adaptation in Health, Food Security and Nutrition showcased eHealth Africa’s Climate Health Vulnerability Assessment Tool (CHAT); a digital platform helping governments, stakeholders and primary healthcare facilities to assess vulnerabilities to climate change.

Tella-Lah said: “CHAT helps decision-makers move from awareness to action. It enables countries to identify risks, design climate-resilient health interventions, and protect communities before crises occur.

“Developed to strengthen evidence-based climate adaptation planning at the national and subnational level, CHAT represents a practical step toward integrating climate intelligence into health system decision-making and advancing climate-resilient primary healthcare delivery.”

Similarly, Abubakar Shehu, Program Manager for Disease Prevention and Monitoring, showcased eHealth Africa’s PlanFeld solution; a digital microplanning solution transforming vaccination logistics.

“With Planfeld, we’ve cut microplanning time from five days to just ten minutes.

“It ensures equitable workload distribution, reduces missed settlements, and helps governments make faster, smarter vaccination decisions,” Shehu stated.

Also, Toju Ogele, Project Manager at eHealth Africa called for renewable energy scale-up in primary health care facilities.

According to Ogele, eHealth Africa with the support from GAVI/UNICEF has solarised over 100 Primary Healthcare facilities leading to a surge in patients accessing the healthcare facilities.

Ogele said: “In just 1 PHC, we have seen a surge in patients from 1,300 patients to over 3,000 patients accessing the Health facilities while night deliveries are no longer a problem.

“Transitioning to renewable energy has no doubt also ensured vaccines stay potent, surgeries stay safe, and communities stay healthy.”

Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Atef Fawaz, has echoed the importance of collaboration in digital health delivery in the country.

Fawaz urged young innovators to bring their ideas forward to solve the problems facing the health sector.

Fawaz said this during the 2025 edition of the Insights Learning Forum (ILF), which is a leading annual gathering on digital health innovation and investment held in Abuja.

The theme of the forum, “Local Investments for Connected Communities: The Power of Digital Health Networks in Public Health Transformation”, drew participants from government agencies, development partners, and the private sector.

The executive director of eHealth Africa said there are countless problems in the health sector waiting for smart solutions.

He added that the Insights Learning Forum (ILF), which began as a modest webinar, now aspires to become a global platform originating from Abuja.

Fawaz also urged young Nigerians to channel their creativity into health tech, not just commercial ventures.

He said, “There are countless problems in the health sector waiting for smart solutions. We encourage young innovators to bring their ideas forward.”

The National Coordinator of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, emphasised the urgent need to leverage local innovations to transform the country’s health system.

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Umar-Sadiq noted that innovation and digital tools play a central role in strengthening service delivery and improving public health outcomes.

He said, “This is a timely and relevant event. The forum helps us reflect on how digital innovation can be used to enhance data integration, strengthen surveillance systems, and address scalability issues in healthcare delivery.”

The gathering, he said, aims to build consensus and harmonise fragmented digital health initiatives into a more coordinated, scalable approach.

He said Nigeria’s health priorities are to reduce maternal and newborn deaths.

He said the government’s “One Plan” strategy incorporates digital health as a cornerstone of this ambition.

“Digital health is not just a support tool — it is central to achieving health outcomes, especially for women and children,” he added.

The Chief Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Dr Ifunanya Ilodibe, said that digital tools are not a luxury but a necessity for equity, quality, and access in healthcare.

She stated, “We cannot talk about quality care if we don’t use digital platforms to empower community health workers and reach remote populations.”

Also speaking, Director of Partnerships and Programmes at eHealth Africa, Mrs Ota Akhigbe, added that the organisation was not just about software but logistics, planning, disease surveillance, and climate-related health responses.

Akhigbe acknowledged gaps in human resources but expressed confidence that collaboration with global partners can help bridge them.

 “With the right mix of local talent, international expertise, and commitment, Nigeria can achieve a digitally efficient and inclusive health system,” she said.