From July 30 to August 1, 2024, health technology experts from Africa, convened in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the first significant step in an advocacy roadmap by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), through the Platform for Dialogue and Action on Health Technologies in Africa (Health Tech Platform). The meeting focused on a comprehensive review of emerging technologies with health research and development (R&D) priorities, setting the stage for enhanced healthcare innovation across the continent.
The technologies discussed included artificial intelligence (AI), drones, genetically based vector control (GBVC), blockchain, biobanks, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and gene drive technology. These cutting-edge innovations were reviewed alongside crucial health priorities such as maternal and neonatal health (MNCH), genomic medicine, and the One Health approach.
The experts shared knowledge and innovations in health that can boost investment in health research and strengthen healthcare systems, thereby addressing the continent’s critical health challenges and improving its health outcomes. The knowledge shared by the experts will guide and enrich the AUDA-NEPAD’s and AFIDEP’s Health Tech Platform’s advocacy activities in promoting African-led development and use of emerging health technologies.
Following the successful meeting in Nairobi, the advocacy roadmap will continue with a series of technical engagements. The next key events include a meeting of the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET), scheduled for September 2–3, 2024, in Lilongwe, Malawi, and a regional dialogue on leveraging emerging technologies to improve healthcare delivery systems in Africa on September 4–5, 2024, also in Lilongwe. These meetings will further provide a platform for experts to discuss health technologies and refine advocacy initiatives, with the goal of driving policy adoption and health technologies implementation across the continent.
This series of engagements mark a critical moment in aligning emerging technologies with Africa’s health R&D priorities, ensuring that these innovations contribute to sustainable and inclusive healthcare development. AFIDEP and AUDA-NEPAD through the Health Tech platform will continue supporting this alignment, fostering evidence-based policies, and advocating investment in health research to improve health outcomes across Africa.