Previously, the assistant was only available through One Medical, the primary care provider Amazon acquired for $3.9 billion in 2023.

With the expansion, customers can now access Health AI through the Amazon platform without needing to be Prime subscribers or One Medical members.

Health AI is designed to answer general health questions, explain medical records, help manage prescription renewals and schedule appointments. The tool can also connect users to healthcare professionals when medical attention is required.

According to Amazon, the AI assistant can respond to general health queries even without access to personal medical information.

However, with a user’s permission, the system can retrieve health data through the Health Information Exchange, a nationwide network that securely shares patient medical records.

This allows Health AI to interpret lab results, diagnoses and other medical records to provide more personalised responses about symptoms or medications.

Users can interact with the assistant by typing questions on Amazon’s website or in the app. For example, they may ask the system to explain cholesterol test results or seek advice on symptoms such as congestion or sore throat.

The company said all interactions with Health AI take place in a HIPAA-compliant environment, with conversations protected by encryption and strict access controls. Amazon added that its AI models are trained using abstracted patterns rather than identifiable patient data.

For instance, if many users ask about medication interactions, the company may analyse those patterns to improve responses while keeping personal information private.

Still, researchers have pointed to the risk of sharing sensitive health information with AI systems, warning that some companies use user conversations to train their models.

Health AI can also connect users with providers at One Medical if professional care is needed. In the United States, Prime members using the service are eligible for up to five free direct-message consultations with a One Medical provider for more than 30 common conditions such as cold and flu, allergies, acid reflux and urinary tract infections. Non-Prime users can still consult providers through Amazon’s pay-per-visit option.

The expansion comes as several artificial intelligence companies move further into healthcare. OpenAI recently introduced a health-focused version of ChatGPT designed to answer medical questions, while Anthropic launched a healthcare-oriented version of its Claude chatbot.

Amazon Pharmacy adds caregiver support and expands PillPack access

Alongside the Health AI rollout, Amazon also announced two updates to Amazon Pharmacy aimed at simplifying how customers manage medications.

The first update introduces a caregiver feature that allows trusted individuals to manage prescriptions for family members or loved ones through their own Amazon Pharmacy accounts. Once verified, caregivers can place orders, manage medications and track deliveries on behalf of the patient.

Amazon said the feature addresses a growing need for support among caregivers. Data from AARP shows that about one in five adults in the United States, around 53 million people, care for an ageing family member, usually spending lots of time coordinating healthcare and medications.

Through the new feature, customers can invite caregivers by sending a secure SMS link from their Amazon Pharmacy account. After confirming details such as the patient’s date of birth, caregivers can begin managing prescriptions online.

The company also expanded access to PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy, a service that delivers medications in pre-sorted packets organised by date and time. The system is designed for patients who take multiple prescriptions daily, helping them avoid managing several pill bottles.

With the update, more than 50 million beneficiaries of Medicare Part D can now use their insurance to access the PillPack service. Customers enrolled in the program receive monthly deliveries of personalised medication packets and can track shipments through the Amazon app.

Amazon Pharmacy accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare Part D nationwide and Medicaid in selected states. The company also offers additional discounts and delivery benefits for Prime members, including free same-day medication delivery in some U.S. cities.

The acquisition brings Torch’s four-person team into OpenAI and folds its core technology straight into the health product unveiled in January 2026. 

Torch gives OpenAI a ready-made system for pulling together scattered medical data at a moment when the company wants to enhance its focus on personal health tools.

Torch had been building what it described as “a medical memory for AI, unifying scattered records into a context engine.” The idea is to take health information spread across clinics, labs, wearables and wellness apps, and make it usable in one place. 

That work now sits at the heart of ChatGPT Health, which allows users to securely link medical records and daily health data inside the chatbot.

While OpenAI did not disclose the price, reports vary. Some put the value near $100 million in equity, others closer to $60 million. Either way, the structure points to an acqui-hire. The team joins; the product becomes infrastructure.

This development lands just over a year after a very different ending for the same founders. Torch’s team met while working at Forward Health, a high-profile clinic startup built around automated care. 

Forward raised close to $400 million before shutting down abruptly in late 2024, laying off staff and closing its doors. Torch’s sale shows how fast fortunes can turn in health technology, where ideas outlive companies.

ChatGPT Health itself is standing carefully. OpenAI says it is a secure, separate space within ChatGPT, designed to help people organise information, prepare questions and understand records, not to replace doctors. More than 260 physicians were involved in building safeguards around how responses are delivered.

With Torch in-house, OpenAI wants to solve one of the hardest problems in digital healthcare; making sense of messy, fragmented data without losing context or trust. 

The product, called Claude for Healthcare, is designed to take on the heavy administrative and research workload that slows down medical care, while also giving patients a better way to understand their own health data. 

At its core, the new product allows healthcare organisations to connect Claude to industry databases. These connections let the system search, verify and organise medical and policy information that clinicians and insurers usually spend hours tracking down. 

Anthropic says this will reduce delays in processes such as prior authorisation, where doctors must justify treatments before insurers approve payment.

“Clinicians often report spending more time on documentation and paperwork than actually seeing patients,” Mike Krieger, Anthropic chief product officer said.

Rather than replacing doctors, the company is pushing Claude into the background work that clogs up healthcare. Submitting forms, checking coverage rules, matching diagnosis codes and assembling appeal documents are all tasks the system is meant to handle faster. 

For insurers and providers, this could mean quicker decisions and fewer backlogs. For patients, it could mean less waiting.

Claude for Healthcare connects directly to systems such as the US Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services coverage database, the ICD-10 coding system, the National Provider Identifier registry and PubMed’s vast research library. 

With these links in place, the system can cross-check policy regulations against patient records, flag missing information and prepare reports that staff would normally compile by hand.

Anthropic is also adding specialised features aimed at interoperability and approvals. One tool focuses on FHIR, the standard used to move data between healthcare systems, while another provides a configurable template for prior authorisation reviews. 

The idea is to reduce errors that creep in when staff juggle multiple platforms under time pressure.

Beyond administration, the company is adding to Claude’s functions in life sciences. New integrations are intended to support clinical trials, regulatory submissions and research analysis, areas where speed and accuracy can tell whether new treatments reach the public sooner.

Patients are part of the plan too. In the US, subscribers on higher-tier plans can choose to connect Claude to personal health records, lab results and fitness data through platforms such as Apple Health and Android Health Connect. 

When enabled, the system can summarise medical history, explain test results in plain language and help users prepare questions for their doctors. Anthropic stresses that users stay in control of what is shared and that health data is not used to train its models.

The development comes as large numbers of people already turn to conversational systems to discuss health issues. OpenAI has said that around 230 million people talk about their health with ChatGPT each week, a fact that patients are filling gaps where access to clinicians is limited. 

Both companies, however, warn that these tools are not a substitute for professional medical advice.

A direct response to how people already use the service, OpenAI says more than 230 million users ask health and wellness questions every week. 

Until now, those conversations sat beside everyday chats. With Health, they are ring-fenced. The company says this separation is meant to stop sensitive health details from appearing in unrelated discussions, while still allowing users to return to them when needed.

The Health section operates as its own environment. If someone begins discussing a medical concern in a regular chat, the system is designed to prompt a move into Health, where added privacy applies. 

At the same time, limited context from general chats, such as lifestyle habits or fitness goals, may be used to make health discussions more relevant. The flow works one way only. Health information does not feed back into standard conversations.

A major part of the rollout is data connection. Users will be able to link medical records and wellness apps, including Apple Health, Function and MyFitnessPal, so conversations are grounded in personal information rather than general advice. 

OpenAI says these health chats will not be used to train its models, and that the feature uses extra layers of encryption and isolation because of the sensitivity of the data involved.

Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s chief executive for applications, described the product as an answer to long-standing problems in healthcare, including high costs, limited access, overbooked doctors and poor continuity of care. 

The aim, she said, is to help people feel more prepared and informed when dealing with their own health, not to replace medical professionals.

However, systems like ChatGPT generate responses based on patterns, not on an understanding of truth, and can sometimes produce inaccurate information. OpenAI acknowledges this risk. 

In its own terms, the company states that it is “not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition.”

ChatGPT Health has been developed with input from hundreds of doctors across dozens of specialities, according to OpenAI. Their feedback has impacted how the feature explains results, flags potential risks and encourages follow-up with clinicians when necessary. 

Even so, the company stresses that the tool is meant to support everyday understanding, not clinical decision-making.

Access will begin with a limited group of users in the coming weeks, with a wider rollout planned after further testing. Some integrations, including medical record connections, will initially be available only in the United States. 

The round was led by Blume Ventures, with support from Schema Ventures, Vicus Ventures, Together Fund, DeVC, Medmountain Ventures, and strategic investors including Innovaccer, Memora Health, and existing customers.

The company is tackling one of healthcare’s biggest pain points which is patient phone calls. Despite digital options, 81% of patients in 2025 still use the phone to contact doctors, often facing long waits, confusing menus, or delayed responses. On the other side, understaffed front desks struggle to manage the volume, leading to frustration and burnout.

Confido’s platform removes the traditional phone tree. Its voice agents answer calls immediately, verify the caller, check insurance eligibility, and handle tasks such as referrals, refills, payments, updates, or appointment bookings. More complex issues are transferred to staff, with all interactions recorded directly into electronic health record (EHR) or practice management systems (PMS).

The need for such automation is increasing. The American Hospital Association has warned that hospitals are under severe financial strain while demand for round-the-clock access keeps growing. Many startups have entered this space in 2025, but Confido differentiates itself by offering a broader range of workflows beyond scheduling, giving providers higher efficiency and return on investment.

In less than a year, the company has scaled rapidly, serving more than one million patients today compared to just 150,000 in December 2024. Automation rates exceed 80%, with clients reporting reduced wait times, faster resolutions, and significant time savings for staff.

At Dallas Renal Group, results were immediate as 66% of patients confirmed appointments instantly on outbound calls, fewer than 6% required staff involvement, and inbound call wait times dropped to 15 seconds, saving nearly 50 staff hours in a single week. “Confido has helped make access faster, smoother, and far less stressful for everyone,” said Srinivas Danda, COO of Dallas Renal Group.

Confido’s Co-founder and CEO, Chetan Reddy, stressed the urgency of the moment. “Healthcare is at an inflection point. Labour shortages and rising patient demand mean practices can’t keep scaling front desks the way they used to. At the same time, building AI for healthcare isn’t like other industries – it requires deep empathy for both staff and patients. Our agents are designed to support people, not replace them, so patients get faster access and workers feel less stressed. That combination is what makes this moment so powerful.”

The company already operates across multiple specialities, including paediatrics, orthopaedics, nephrology, dermatology, gastroenterology, and pain medicine. Its roadmap goes beyond scheduling to include recalls, reactivation, payments, and care coordination, with speciality playbooks, audit trails, analytics, and first-call resolution metrics.

Investors are confident in Confido’s position. Sanjay Nath, partner at Blume Ventures, said: “Chetan, Vichar and the Confido team have gone incredibly deep into the trenches of the healthcare industry, having faced the pains of poor patient experience themselves – and have emerged with an offering that is transforming the way patient communication with providers is run. 

“It is clear to us that healthcare especially in the US is ripe for AI-led transformation, given the widespread administrative staff shortages, and Confido Health is well positioned to 10X the patient experience. We are very excited to lead this investment round and see a clear path to Confido becoming the market leader in this space, driven by a patient-first product ethos and close partnership with the provider ecosystem.”

Shubham Gupta, founding general partner at Together Fund, added: “Chetan, Vichar, and the Confido team have gone deeper than anyone we’ve seen in tackling the patient access problem. Their fully generative, multi-agent platform is not just a tech innovation — it’s already proving its impact in real-world provider settings by handling the communication bottlenecks that EHRs and legacy vendors have consistently failed at. 

“They are also building the most differentiated tech in this space focused on data & integrations not just voice. We’re excited to partner with them in building the market leader in AI-powered patient engagement.”

Confido Health believes that phones will remain healthcare’s most common entry point. In turning calls into efficient, human-like conversations, the company aims to become the standard infrastructure for patient communication across clinics and health systems of every size.

Meanwhile, in rural communities, one doctor is expected to look after 5,000 patients. If that doesn’t feel like a national crisis, perhaps this will: Nigerians spend an average of N5,200 every month on self-medication because they simply cannot trust hospitals to be there when they need them.

However, in the middle of this dysfunction, we’ve selected two HealthTech brands who are torchbearers for a broken system; Helium Health and Reliance HMO. 

Both founded in 2016, both funded by global investors, both leveraging technology. But they serve completely different corners of the healthcare puzzle: one is wiring up hospitals with digital infrastructure, the other is selling ordinary Nigerians something close to peace of mind. So, the question? Which one serves Nigerians better?

The Context: Digital Health as a Lifeline

Globally, digital health has gone beyond being experimental. The market is projected to hit $660 billion by the end of 2025, growing at nearly 25% annually since 2019. Artificial intelligence alone is set to contribute over $102 billion by 2028. 

In Nigeria, the digital health market will reach $645 million this year, driven by smartphone penetration, improved internet, and the government’s goal to digitise 70% of health records by 2025.

On the demand, 70% of Nigerian doctors now use some form of healthtech tool. Patients are booking virtual consultations more, and insurers are relying on apps to reduce paperwork. Against this backdrop, Helium Health and Reliance HMO have risen to prominence.

Leadway vs. AIICO: A Review of their Digital Strategies in a Low-Penetration Insurance Market

Helium Health: Building the Rails

Helium Health is the backbone of African hospitals with an indispensable product: Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS). 

These systems replace dusty paper files with digital dashboards, automate billing, manage drug inventories, and streamline appointments.

Helium Health has raised $42.2 million to date and now operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya. Its acquisition of Meddy in 2021 and development of HeliumDoc allowed it to integrate AI-powered tools for telemedicine, doctor discovery, automated workflows and patient engagement tools. Through its HeliumCredit product, it also offers financing to hospitals starved of liquidity.

Hospital administrators commend Helium Health for one thing: control. With over 1,000 facilities onboarded and thousands of clinicians using its software, it has become the quiet enabler of efficiency in a chaotic system. The average patient may never hear of it, but without Helium, many hospitals would still be filing patient data in dusty cabinets.

Reliance HMO: Delivering the Ride

Reliance HMO sits on the other end, highly visible, customer-facing, and almost evangelical about access. Unlike Helium, Reliance doesn’t build tools for hospitals. It sells health insurance plans directly to individuals, families, and businesses, plans that truly work.

With $51.1 million raised so far, Reliance has built a provider network of over 2,600 hospitals in Nigeria and 3,800 globally. Its platform gives users telemedicine, cashback incentives for unused plans, and transparent, flexible options like the Red Beryl plan at ₦38,650 annually. For many SMEs and startups, this affordability is the difference between employees being insured or not at all.

Customer feedback usually highlights its quick claims process, responsive support team, and user-friendly mobile app. Reliance has also pushed innovation in chronic care, piloting programmes in diabetes management that reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 12% for participants.

In short, Reliance is the brand patients see, touch, and trust.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Which Serves Nigerians Better?

This is not a straightforward fight. Helium Health is the engine room, Reliance HMO is the frontline face. Helium ensures hospitals can run efficiently; Reliance ensures patients can actually access care. One is building the rails, the other is driving the train.

If you’re a hospital administrator, here’s your answer: Helium Health is the partner you need. If you’re an HR manager trying to insure your staff, Reliance HMO is the obvious choice. In reality, Nigerians need both, because infrastructure without access is meaningless, and access without strong infrastructure collapses quickly.

Nigeria’s health sector will not be saved by government spending alone. It will be saved by fierce experiments like Helium Health and accessible models like Reliance HMO. Each represents a different strategy to solve the same problem: how to give Nigerians dignified, affordable, and reliable healthcare.

So, which serves Nigerians better? The answer depends on where you stand. But if both continue to grow and eventually intersect, the biggest winners won’t be the companies, it will be the patients who, for once, might actually find the system working in their favour.

Targeting tech startups across Africa and Europe, OpenseedVC focuses on investing in experienced operators and domain experts highlighting the role of founder experience in the success of startups.

The firm aims to be the first believer in experienced operators who are transitioning to become founders, providing early-stage investments of up to $150,000. This fund targets startups within sectors such as B2B software, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, digital health, and the future of work.

Rotilu sees the importance of founder-market fit, asserting that operators who have been involved in the day-to-day operations of startups possess an almost unfair advantage in understanding and navigating their chosen markets.

The launch of OpenseedVC comes at a time when fundraising for African startups has become increasingly challenging. In 2023, funding for African startups fell by 33% compared to the previous year, totalling approximately $3.2 billion.

Despite these difficulties, Rotilu believes that strong companies are often born during tough economic times. “We want to be the first believers in these experienced operators, providing them with the capital and support they need from the start to the launch of their technology companies,” she said.

OpenseedVC is not just about providing capital; it also brings a network of over 50 seasoned operators to support new founders. These operators, who have extensive experience in areas such as software engineering, product development, and market strategy, will offer invaluable guidance to startups.

This network aims to address common challenges faced by new technology companies, ensuring they have the necessary resources and expertise to succeed.

The fund’s investment strategy is designed to create a diversified portfolio across geography, industry, and gender. Rotilu noted the importance of supporting female-led startups and achieving a balanced co-founding team composition.

This approach aims to enhance the overall impact and returns of the portfolio by tapping into a wide range of perspectives and expertise.

So far, OpenseedVC has made two investments: one in a stealth AI-enabled supplier dispute resolution software based in the UK, and another in Intron, a speech-to-text transcription model tailored for underserved accents in Africa.

Over the next five years, the fund plans to back at least 60 startups, operating with an open application process that allows founders to apply without needing an introduction.

Rotilu’s background as an operator and investor gives her a unique perspective on the needs of early-stage startups. Before founding OpenseedVC, she held key roles at Uber and Branch in Nigeria, scaled tech companies to millions of users, and managed the Oxford Seed Fund.

Her vision for OpenseedVC is to leverage this experience to support operators in Africa and Europe, helping them build successful, scalable businesses.

With its first close well into the millions, OpenseedVC continues to fundraise and aims to reach the final close within a year.

The issues in Nigeria’s health sector aren’t just limited to access, it includes infiltration of fake drugs, hospitals not being emergency-ready, and lack of access to healthcare providers, manufacturers, pharmacists, etc.

The Rigour + solution comes in different segments – Rigour + for Doctors, which connects patients to doctors; Rigour + for Pharmacists, which allows them to onboard and track orders from hospitals/patients; Rigour + for Hospitals and Rigour + for Manufacturers, which helps to fight the infiltration of fake drugs.

At the event, a demo was done and it showed how the Rigour + app remains user-friendly making a big difference in how easily users can navigate and accomplish tasks within. The user interface enhanced the user experience, making it more visually appealing.

Linda Adaeze Obi, CEO, AfriHealth, said at the launch in Lagos that AfriHealth is poised to provide technology-enabled solutions that will ensure that Nigerians are connected to medical experts, and pharmacists without the usual traditional barriers.

According to Linda, healthcare access in Nigeria is very limited in all dimensions due to factors within and beyond the health system, but with the integration of technology, some of the challenges will be tackled.

Overall, the Rigour + App allows patients to book a consultation with a doctor and have a virtual session and allows patients to place an order for drugs and get it delivered to their doorsteps. It also provides the opportunity for pharmacists or doctors to generate more income from the solution.

Specifically, Rigour + for Manufacturers was built with the intent to fight medicine counterfeiting in Nigeria. AfriHealth adopted the new serialization to help manufacturers and importers comply with regulatory requirements and improve the safety and quality of pharmaceutical products.

Nigeria is one of the world’s most counterfeited markets, and it ranks first among African nations in terms of the number of citizens lost to fake medications each year. According to the Brazzaville Foundation, 120,000 Africans pass away each year.

The infiltration of fake drugs costs the global pharmaceutical sector $200 billion yearly. Due to the lack of trustworthy track and trace capabilities, producers and importers in Nigeria experience severe pain points, which can result in production losses of up to 40% and huge revenue losses.

According to Umanze Cornelius, Chief Operating Officer, AfriHealth, to guarantee that Rigour+ for Manufacturers complies with the highest standards of safety and quality, it is completely aligned with regulatory organizations like GS1 Nigeria and NAFDAC.

He said by implementing track and trace capabilities, Rigour+ for Manufacturers aims to help manufacturers and importers comply with regulatory requirements and improve the safety and quality of pharmaceutical products

“Now, you can trace and track where the drugs are coming from and all the elements connected to them. If the drugs have issues or are poisonous, you can now say the problem is coming from here. This moves our system from reactionary processes.

“It is difficult if you cannot trace where the poisonous substance in a drug is situated. So, with the technology, you can track them.”

However, he added that digitizing healthcare in Nigeria has the potential to significantly solve many of those issues bedeviling the sector. It has improved access to healthcare services, increase efficiency, and ultimately save lives.

Mustering the courage to go for the test was not an easy thing to do. And then the waiting started. I was told the results would only be available after three days.

My anxiety levels were very high. l had difficulty concentrating and even making simple decisions was a problem. I had difficulty sleeping and when l did fall asleep, l had nightmares.

Unable to cope with these feelings of fear, worry, numbness and frustration, l reached out to a psychologist who explained that what l was going through was ‘normal’.

She explained the psychological stress presented by the possibility of having contracted the virus and talked me through my fears. My results came back, and I was able to sleep peacefully at night and able to focus on my work.

I am lucky because the majority of the people in Nigerians cannot access the kind of psychosocial support  health services that l was able to access in real-time to help me deal with the anxiety and fears brought on by the pandemic due to last of digital tools and literacy.

More than a year into the pandemic, the constant worry, the fear, the anxiety and the frustrations surrounding access to the COVID-19 vaccine has added to the  pressures that ordinary citizens and health professionals are going through.

The cost of access to  health services is beyond the reach of many, connecting to the right health service was a major challenge as there was lockdown, health personnel and services are inadequate and have been largely ignored even as the government focuses more on preventing the spread of the virus and managing those who have contracted the disease.

Attention to  training  health professional on the use of digital tools , even prior to the pandemic, has been woefully inadequate.

A National Digital Health Strategy 2018–2023 document indicates that less than 25% of health facilities in Nigeria have adopted electronic health record systems, while over 80% still rely on paper-based processes due to poor digital literacy among health workers and inadequate access to digital health tools to cater for a population of more than 200 million Nigerians.

A National Health ICT Strategic Framework 2015- 2020 document indicates that less than 25% of health facilities in Nigeria have adopted electronic health record systems, while over 80% still rely on paper-based processes due to poor digital literacy among health workers and inadequate access to digital health tools to cater for a population of more than 200 million Nigerians.

Stress level of people has risen as many have lost jobs, have seen their businesses collapse and have been denied the traditional social support they would usually access due to stringent measures introduced by the government to reduce the spread of the disease.

Relatives who have lost loved ones to the virus haven’t had the opportunity to bid them a befitting farewell as the bodies are not released to them. All they have are memories of these persons to last them their lifetime.

A National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report revealed that the incomes of over 79% of Nigerians representing more than 150 million people out of the country’s estimated 200 million population have reduced since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nigeria.

An estimated 70 million Nigerians faced disruptions to their work activities during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and safety restrictions. The situation disoriented many, as income sources were cut off and businesses struggled to adapt to digital alternatives.

Beyond the economic impact, the crisis exposed Nigeria’s limited digital readiness in the health sector, where inadequate infrastructure, poor digital literacy, and lack of access to online health services widened inequality in healthcare delivery.

“In the best of times, Nigeria’s health system struggles with digital adoption. Even more neglected are the preventative and public health aspects of technology integration. An effective response to the digital challenges exposed by COVID-19 requires the whole of society with a focus on digital literacy, infrastructure, and coordination across sectors,” said Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, former Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The main public health institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, relied on limited digital reporting systems during the pandemic. Data collection and contact tracing were often done manually or through fragmented digital platforms. Despite the National Health ICT Strategic Framework (2015-2020) outlining plans for eHealth adoption, implementation has been slow due to insufficient funding, unreliable internet, and poor capacity-building among health workers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted health service delivery in over 90% of countries, including Nigeria, where many hospitals lacked the tools for telemedicine or digital patient record management.

Unlike many other countries that could pivot rapidly to digital healthcare solutions, Nigeria’s response was constrained by low investment in innovation. The government provided limited digital support for remote consultation, data integration, and training for frontline workers.

The impact of these gaps has not yet been fully measured by the Federal Ministry of Health, but anecdotal evidence and research from the WHO and Nigeria Digital Health Readiness Assessment (2021) indicate that citizens in rural areas, women, and small clinics faced significant digital exclusion during the pandemic making it harder to access health information, virtual care, or vaccination updates.

The policy brief by the United Nations (2020) had warned that digital exclusion could deepen inequality in developing nations like Nigeria, urging governments to invest in technology infrastructure and capacity development to strengthen health system resilience.

While countries like Kenya and South Africa scaled telemedicine platforms rapidly, Nigeria lagged behind. The National Health ICT Framework revealed that fewer than 25% of health facilities had any form of electronic health record (EHR) system by 2020, and over 80% still relied on paper-based processes.

Access to digital health tools remains uneven. Many hospitals lack ICT equipment, and health professionals often have minimal digital training.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria has fewer than 10,000 digitally trained health professionals serving a population of over 200 million a ratio far below what is needed to deliver efficient, technology-enabled healthcare.

Despite government initiatives like the NCDC’s digital surveillance systems and the Nigeria eHealth Blueprint, awareness and use of digital health services remain low. The absence of sustained funding and the high cost of digital tools discourage adoption, while poor connectivity in rural regions isolates millions from critical health innovations.

“COVID-19 was a wake-up call for Nigeria. We saw that technology isn’t a luxury it’s essential to protecting lives,” said Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner for Health, Ekiti State, at a 2022 health technology forum.

Yet, few citizens are aware of available digital tools, and limited digital literacy means many cannot use them effectively when needed. As Nigeria moves toward implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, experts emphasize that investing in digital literacy, affordable internet access, and eHealth systems is crucial to building a more resilient and equitable health sector

Technology to the Rescue?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients seeking healthcare services in Nigeria were required to visit hospitals physically and book appointments at the clinics if they needed them.

But the pandemic forced health service providers to rethink how to reach patients and enable them to keep their appointments.

Even though in-person consultations are still happening, attention has shifted to expanding access using digital health tools and telemedicine platforms, as it is now easier and quicker to book a virtual session than pursue in-person visits.

As part of efforts to promote digital access to healthcare during the pandemic, several hospitals and health organizations in Nigeria introduced free call-in and online consultation services, allowing citizens to speak directly with medical professionals, access verified information, and receive guidance without leaving their homes.

Why can’t it be sustained?

I put this question to Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, then Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
He says that “almost everything we’re doing right now, from logistics to managing the outbreak itself, is being migrated into different technological platforms,” noting that automating processes would help authorities handle increased testing

The theme for that year’s World Health Day was “Building a Fairer, Healthier World,” a message that resonates deeply in Nigeria, where the digital divide continues to shape health outcomes and access to care.

The national digital health call-in service, launched during the pandemic, is one way the government and private sector are trying to bridge the gap in access to reliable health information and support.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in most low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, the digital health access gap is estimated between 70–90%, meaning that millions of people still cannot benefit from telemedicine, electronic health records, or online health consultations.

In Nigeria, this figure is believed to be even higher due to poor infrastructure, low internet penetration, and limited digital literacy among health professionals.

“This means that a large portion of Nigerians are still unable to access essential digital health services,” says Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner for Health in Ekiti State. “We must see digital health not as a luxury but as a necessity a tool for inclusion, not exclusion.”

The Head of Public Health Communications at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chinwe Ochu, says the expansion of digital and phone-based health services during the pandemic was a direct response to the surge in public distress and health-related inquiries.

“Before COVID-19, we only had a few hotlines for disease surveillance and emergency response,” she explains. “But during the pandemic, there was a massive increase in the number of calls from people experiencing anxiety, fear, or confusion about the virus. We had to strengthen our helpline system and train responders to provide both health information and psychosocial support.”

Since its expansion, the NCDC Connect Centre has handled hundreds of thousands of calls, providing verified information, emotional support, and referrals to nearby facilities. The helpline operates 24 hours a day, connecting citizens to healthcare professionals across the country.

While this has been an important step in improving access to timely health information, experts say more needs to be done to publicize these helplines, especially in communities with low digital literacy or limited internet access.

Health communication specialists have urged the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to collaborate with media houses, telecom operators, and faith-based organizations to ensure that helpline numbers are widely shared through radio, TV, and SMS campaigns.

“Many Nigerians who need help don’t have the time or resources to go online looking for numbers,” says Dr. Amina Abubakar, a public health expert based in Abuja. “The numbers should be visible everywhere from public transport stations to market walls and community radio broadcasts.” Just as the national emergency line 112 can instantly connect callers to the ambulance, fire service, or police, Nigeria’s health authorities are being urged to establish a single USSD short code that allows citizens to reach verified health and mental health support lines directly, without requiring internet access.

In Nigeria, misinformation surrounding COVID-19 created widespread anxiety, fear, and confusion among citizens.

To address this, Oluwafunke Kofoworade and her team launched Digital Health Global a digital response system built to provide verified health information and bridge the gap in access to care.

“We realised that many Nigerians were relying on rumours and social media for medical advice,” she explains. “So we developed simple tools that anyone could use, even without internet access.” Through a WhatsApp chatbot, Telegram chatbot and a toll-free USSD short code (*698*79#), users could access reliable COVID-19 updates, safety tips, and emergency contacts from any mobile phone.

For those without smartphones, the USSD feature ensured access to information and support in real time. Suggestions have since been made to expand government helplines such as the NCDC Connect Centre to deliver digital counselling and brief psychological interventions to the public. However, challenges remain in standardising online health and therapy practices for web-based consultations.

Health and distress hotlines in Nigeria have also been providing callers with medical guidance, psychological support, and basic digital first aid, with many referred to nearby hospitals or community health centres for specialized care. Providing consultations through online platforms and phone-based systems has had varying degrees of success.

The following are some of the helplines that people can call to get assistance.

Community-based self-help groups have also become an important way of providing health and psychosocial support to Nigerians, especially those in rural areas. In northern states such as Kano, Kaduna, and Borno, where access to health services is limited and stigma persists, these groups have been providing mutual care and awareness during and after the pandemic.

Many of these groups, supported through the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) programme, each have dozens of members who organize advocacy campaigns to reduce stigma and promote access to healthcare and digital health tools.

But even these kinds of community-based support activities have been affected, as in-person meetings have reduced due to fear of infection and limited connectivity in rural areas. The stigma surrounding mental health also means few people seek help even when services are available.

“The government must prioritize community health and digital inclusion,” says Dr. Peter Adebayo, Director of Primary Health Systems Strengthening at the Federal Ministry of Health. “Our well-being depends on systems that empower communities with the tools and support they need.”

[This article was produced by the Africa Health Journalism Project (AHJP) in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the ONE Campaign].