On 5 – 8 March 2023, the Platform for Dialogue on Health Technologies in Africa (Health Tech Platform) will join health experts, thought leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders in Kigali, Rwanda, for the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2023.  

The Platform will host a parallel session on Accelerating Africa’s Progress in the Development, Testing and Deployment of Emerging Health Technologies, which will feed into the overall theme of this year’s conference, Resilient Health Systems for Africa: Re-envisioning the Future Now.  

Africa’s Heads of State recognise that technology is critical to accelerating the continent’s economic development, as embodied in the African Union (AU)’s Agenda 2063. To this extent, the AU directed its development agency, AUDA-NEPAD, to establish the Africa Union High-level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) to provide expert advice on matters of technology and development. The establishment allows the continent to leverage current and emerging innovations and technologies with a high potential to transform Africa’s science base into a competitive advantage.  

APET has prioritised several emerging technologies that, if successfully developed, tested, and deployed, could change the course of disease and improve overall health. However, several challenges prevent Africa from progressing in the development of technologies. These include weak or insufficient legal and policy frameworks; wariness to adopt some technologies due to a lack of understanding, which decreases public and policymakers’ buy-in; limited local technological capacity; and insufficient government investments in research and innovation.

The session at AHAIC will bring together experts to discuss some of the priority health technologies, including gene drives and monoclonal antibodies for malaria control and the use of drones and microgrids in health. The discussions aim to create awareness of the potential of emerging technologies in tackling persisting health issues in Africa and explore the regulatory reforms and investments required for Africa to develop, test and deploy the emerging health technologies where proven safe and effective. Further, the session will propose approaches to tackling barriers to their development, testing, and deployment. 

Session Programme

2.00-2.10 pm:	Introduction to the session Dr Rose Oronje – Director of Public Policy & Knowledge Translation, and Head of Kenya Office, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) (Moderator)
2.10-2.25 pm:	The role of monoclonal antibodies in disease prevention in Africa Dr Said Jongo – Consultant Physician and Clinical Epidemiologist, Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)
2.25-2.40 pm:	Use of drones in healthcare delivery and challenges associated with their deployment in Africa Leka Tingitana – Director, Tanzania Flying Labs
2.40-2.55 pm:	Use of solar microgrids for vector-borne disease control in Africa Dr Collins Mweresa – Senior Lecturer of Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST)
2.55-3.10 pm:	Use of gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control in Africa Professor Richard Mukabana – Project Director of the Health Tech Platform, African Institute for Development Policy
3.10-3.25 pm:	Discussion/Q&A
3.25-3.30 pm:	Wrap-Up