Highlights
- Highlighting the importance of cultural context and local leadership in the success of digital health solutions.
- eHealth Africa’s innovative solutions have vaccinated over 5.8 million people, revolutionising immunisation programs in Nigeria.
eHealth Africa (eHA) has urged governments and stakeholders to explore the critical factors beyond technology that are essential for deployment of digital health solutions for long-term success of public health systems across Africa. Data-backed interventions will help streamline operations and enable formulation of interventions that appreciate the cultural norms when addressing the immediate needs of different communities within the region.
Data-backed interventions will help streamline operations and enable formulation of interventions that appreciate the cultural norms when addressing the immediate needs of different communities within the region.
Speaking during a panel session at the Global Digital Health Forum 2024 in Nairobi, Atef Fawaz, eHealth Africa’s executive director, emphasised the importance of integrating technology with local cultures and addressing community-specific needs.
“Understanding the unique healthcare challenges in countries like Nigeria allows us to deploy tech solutions that truly make an impact,” said Fawaz.
He observed that eHealth Africa successfully delivered over 5.8 million vaccines (5,801,209) to 351 primary healthcare facilities across states in Nigeria that was made possible through the deployment of the innovative Logistics Management Information System (LoMIS) application.
“The system significantly improved the availability of vaccines for Routine Immunisation (RI), ensuring timely and efficient distribution while eliminating stockouts at primary healthcare facilities. This intervention highlights our commitment to strengthening immunisation programs and enhancing healthcare delivery at the grassroots level,” he said.
In his contribution, Abdulhamid Yahaya, deputy director, Global Health Informatics highlighted the need to understand the local cultural, social, and regulatory landscape so as to build solutions that are designed with local realities in mind.
eHealth Africa Board Member Micheline Ntiru said using technology provided stakeholders among them global health leaders, tech innovators, and development experts as well as local communities a platform to create the right solutions that work within the constraints of each community, and with the support of local leadership.
For instance, local health workers have been using mobile-based reminder systems to improve compliance and overall health outcomes while some local immunisation centres have been sending SMS reminders to parents as well as to provide educational messages about the diseases they protect against.
Mobile phones, now available in nearly 80 percent of African homes, can also be used during emergencies to dispatch mass announcements about satellite clinic locations and schedules.
According to the World Health Organisation, increased use of the Internet, email, social networking sites and availability of mobile phones facilitates deployment of eHealth solutions, applications and services towards improvement of national health systems. Use of technological eHealth solutions could also be used to encourage positive lifestyle changes to prevent and control common diseases.
The panel moderated by Ota Akhigbe, Director of Partnerships and Programs comprised of Ms Ntiru (Delta40 ventures), Mr Yahaya (eHealth Africa), Chief Impact Officer at Tiko – Serah Malaba, Dr Olamide Okulaja (Maisha Meds), Audere Chief Executive Officer Dr Dino Rech, and Rachel Alladian from Jacaranda.
They discussed how strategic partnerships, regulatory compliance, and a deep understanding of local contexts are crucial for driving digital health innovations that can succeed in diverse regions.
The GDHF forum was attended by health scholars, researchers, representatives from the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malaysia, Somalia and Sri Lanka as well as representatives from the World Bank, medicine manufacturers, technology vendors, UN agencies among others.
