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ANALYSIS | KWASI BOAHENE | As African countries struggle with overburdened healthcare systems, limited resources, and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, digital health innovations are essential.
However, relying on donor funding alone is not enough to support these developments. So says Kwasi Boahene, director of health systems at PharmAccess, an entrepreneurial non-profit organisation that seeks to improve access to quality healthcare in Africa.
In an exclusive interview, Boahene explains how digital health can transform healthcare delivery, making it more equitable and efficient – and why public-private partnerships are critical to achieving this.
What exactly is meant by digital health?
Digital health refers to the integration of technology and data analytics into healthcare systems to improve efficiency, access and patient outcomes.
In Africa, where healthcare budgets are stretched thin and the disease burden is high, particularly from non-communicable diseases – such as hypertension [high blood pressure] and diabetes – digital health can be a game-changer.
These diseases account for 37 per cent of all deaths in Africa, yet attract only two per cent of global health investments.
By adopting digital solutions, African healthcare systems can bridge this gap, ensuring more equitable access to quality healthcare.
Digital health plays a key role in supporting the Universal Health Coverage declaration that most African countries have adopted.
What are the various forms of digital health?
Digital health encompasses a wide array of tools and applications, ranging from mobile health solutions and remote patient monitoring to mobile health wallets and digital platforms.
It also includes health data systems, data analytics, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence. These technologies can significantly expand access to healthcare, especially in underserved areas, and support data-driven decision-making by health providers.
The data generated by these systems is crucial for improving the value of healthcare for patients, providers, and payers. Ultimately, digital health not only improves access but also enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of care.
What is digital health’s role in healthcare delivery?
Africa has already demonstrated its ability to innovate in the digital space, particularly in mobile finance and commerce. Mobile payments contribute around ten per cent of Africa’s GDP, compared to just two per cent in Europe and the US, despite 57 per cent of Africans lacking a bank account. Building on this success, digital health can bring similar innovations to healthcare, tackling the continent’s unique challenges.
Take the growing burden of non-communicable diseases — Africa needs more efficient health solutions to manage these conditions. Digital health can optimise resources, improve disease management, and enhance patient outcomes
For instance, in Ghana, a partnership involving PharmAccess, the Dutch digital provider Luscii, and local healthcare providers implemented digital remote monitoring for non-communicable diseases.
This initiative led to a 20 per cent increase in patient compliance and a 15 per cent reduction in healthcare costs for patients, demonstrating the potential of digital health to transform care delivery.
Moreover, data is critical to building trust in health systems, ensuring privacy and security, and promoting patient engagement
Can African countries afford to roll out digital health?
Africa’s success with mobile technology offers valuable lessons for digital health. A phased approach, starting with manageable investments and scaling up based on results, can minimise risks and optimise resources.
Digital health technologies, when implemented thoughtfully, can reduce both initial and operational costs.
Collaboration between governments and private sector players is key. These partnerships provide technical expertise, funding, and innovative solutions, reducing the financial burden on individual countries.
By leveraging each partner’s strengths, such collaborations can accelerate the rollout of digital health solutions, ensuring that access is more equitable and widespread.
Since many African countries rely on donor funding for their health programmes, can digital health be sustained?
While donor funding is important, it is not sustainable for long-term healthcare needs.
Blended financing is a more viable solution. That’s why PharmAccess established the Medical Credit Fund, which offers business training, financing, and technical assistance to entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector.
By combining domestic financing with private investment, this approach creates greater value and sustainability.
Donor funding, when used strategically, can serve as a risk mitigator, particularly in high-risk environments, helping to catalyse larger investments from the private sector.
Do you have success stories of digital health initiatives in Africa?
Yes, there are several success stories. In Kenya, PharmAccess partnered with CarePay International, a Dutch-Kenyan social enterprise, to develop a mobile health payment platform.
This platform enables millions of Kenyans to access affordable healthcare via their phones.
Today, the platform serves 4.7 million people and is used in 5,000 healthcare facilities, generating critical data to improve healthcare for patients, providers, and governments.
In Ghana, we supported the National Health Insurance Authority in launching the CLAIM-it App, which simplifies claims processing, reduces costs, and minimises fraud.
The data collected from this app has been instrumental in shaping policy towards value-based care for non-communicable diseases, now being piloted in partnership with CHAG, a network of more than 300 health facilities and training institutions.
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Source: SciDev.Net.
