Across Africa, the challenges facing healthcare systems are stark—and deeply structural. Underfunding, infrastructure deficits, policy fragmentation, and a shortage of skilled health professionals have left many nations struggling to deliver quality care. More than 50% of health facilities lack stable electricity or internet access. Smartphone penetration still hovers around 30%. These limitations mean millions of Africans remain on the fringes of the digital health revolution, even as technology reshapes healthcare globally. 

And yet, within these constraints lies extraordinary potential. 

To understand what it will take to unlock this potential, I spoke with Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Advisor at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). His path—from studying medicine to serving as Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Youth and now guiding Africa CDC’s digital health agenda—offers a rare blend of insight at the crossroads of health, technology, and policy. 

“We have no shortage of talent or creativity,” he said. “What we lack is the infrastructure and the systems to turn ideas into scalable solutions.” 

The Untapped Power of Necessity-Driven Innovation 

Africa’s healthcare transformation is not just a public health priority—it’s a demographic and economic imperative. With the continent’s population projected to double by 2050 , and with a median age under 25, there’s an urgent need to invest in systems that are not only efficient but built on a scale. 

According to Nsengimana, this rising generation is already building the future. The continent is brimming with health innovations born of necessity and driven by a vibrant, youthful population. But innovation alone isn’t enough. Scaling it across borders, embedding it into national systems, and making it sustainable—these are the hurdles that remain. “If we could produce a zebra unicorn,” he said, “that would mean we’ve created a health innovation that serves a billion-person market, creates jobs, and advances health security. “ This dual vision of impact and sustainability sits at the heart of Africa’s HealthTech opportunity. 

And unlike fintech, which could ride the coattails of rapidly expanding mobile money infrastructure, HealthTech requires a more complex ecosystem: interoperable data systems, trained health workers, regulatory oversight, and trust.   

Digital Health’s Promise and What’s Blocking It 

From mobile apps and AI diagnostics to remote monitoring and interoperable data platforms, digital health tools offer a path to overcoming some of Africa’s toughest health challenges: distance, scarcity of specialists, and poor system efficiency. But according to Nsengimana, four persistent barriers are holding the sector back: 

Infrastructure Gaps

In many parts of Africa, digital health solutions can’t take root because the physical and digital infrastructure simply isn’t there. Beyond electricity and connectivity, basic hardware and interoperable software are missing in most public health systems. Even the most basic interventions—telemedicine, wearables, AI diagnostics—depend on a foundation we haven’t fully built yet.  

“You realize that there are still connectivity gaps, there are computer capacity, storage, and computers, especially during this AI time. But the fact that more than 50% of our health facilities on the continent are not yet connected to power or to the internet shows that there is an infrastructure gap.” 

– Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Advisor, Africa CDC 

 

Skills Shortage

Africa’s digital-native youth population is an asset, but it’s not enough. Most health workers haven’t been trained to use digital systems. This gap extends beyond frontline providers. It includes policymakers and system administrators too. Bridging it will require new education models and widespread retraining efforts. 

Regulatory Fragmentation

Africa remains a patchwork of digital health regulations. Each country tends to operate in isolation, making it nearly impossible for startups to scale across borders or for governments to share critical health data securely and efficiently. “Africa remains a patchwork of digital health regulations,” Nsengimana explained. The lack of harmonized standards hampers growth and stifles innovation. 

Limited Investment

HealthTech in Africa remains underfunded compared to sectors like FinTech. The long payback period and the perception of health as a purely social sector discourage many private investors. But Nsengimana pushes back: “Health tech may not be your ally if you’re chasing quarterly profits. But long-term investors will reap the biggest rewards.” 

Like education, healthcare is a foundational pillar of long-term economic development and requires patient capital and longer ROI timelines.  

Telemedicine: The Most Immediate Opportunity 

If there’s one digital tool that could quickly expand access to healthcare, it’s telemedicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw an explosive rise in remote care. In high-income countries, usage jumped by up to 4,000%. In Africa, the growth was just 300%—a significant increase, but “nowhere near global levels”, according to Nsengimana. 

He believes this is the lowest-hanging fruit on the path to universal health coverage. “If we invest in it, we can accelerate access dramatically,” he said. “Every African should have a number to call for health advice, referrals, or prescriptions.”  

“Well, there are many entry points. We’ve seen, for example, telemedicine. Africa is moving towards the universal health coverage objective by 2030. But if we look at the speed at which we’ve been moving, I don’t think we’re going to reach that if we continue to move at the same speed. So, we need to accelerate that speed. Just investing seriously in telemedicine would be a starting point. And with the growth of telemedicine, what also comes is an explosion in terms of health data collection that is available to the practitioners and the policymakers to make better health policy decisions. So that could be a starting point.”  

– Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Advisor, Africa CDC 

But the vision goes beyond reactive care. It’s about embedding prevention, education, and behavioral change into everyday life—delivered through mobile devices and community health workers. “Most health happens outside hospitals,” Nsengimana emphasized. “Technology can help us keep people well—not just treat them when they’re sick.” 

AI, Data Sovereignty, and Africa’s Next Leap 

Artificial intelligence could be a powerful equalizer. From early outbreak detection to personalized health predictions, AI is already reshaping how healthcare is delivered. But it also raises a critical question: who controls the data? 

The solution? Build sovereign digital infrastructure. That means investing in regional data centers, cloud services, and federated data models—where insights are shared, but data remains local and secure. As wearables, diagnostics, and mobile health tools proliferate, this architecture will be key to both innovation and privacy. 

FinTech’s Playbook: A Model for HealthTech? 

Africa’s FinTech explosion offers valuable case study. Ten years ago, few believed mobile money would transform the continent. Today, services like M-Pesa have redefined financial inclusion. 

HealthTech could follow that same trajectory—if it receives similar support in its early stages. “FinTech was nurtured through development partner support and strategic public-private partnerships,” Nsengimana explained. “HealthTech needs the same long-term vision.” 

To replicate that success, the focus must be on creating public-private partnerships that align social good with commercial viability. Health is a right, but it is also a sector that can generate jobs, tax revenue, and innovation-led growth. 

The Africa CDC and Continental Momentum 

Perhaps the most promising signal of progress is the role of the Africa CDC. Under its current leadership, the agency is shifting from a pandemic response to a proactive digital health strategy. 

Its vision? A single digital health market where records are citizen-owned, portable, and interoperable across borders. Through initiatives like the Africa HealthTech Marketplace, vetted startups are gaining visibility, credibility, and the chance to scale beyond their home countries.  “We want countries to confidently procure these solutions,” Nsengimana said. “And we’re working on sandboxes to test AI-based tools safely before full deployment.” 

This shift—from fragmented national programs to coordinated continental frameworks—is both ambitious and necessary. 

Toward a HealthTech Renaissance 

Africa’s goal of Universal Health Coverage by 2030 won’t be met with business as usual. HealthTech cannot remain a peripheral experiment—it must become a structural pillar. 

This transformation must be inclusive. It’s not enough to build apps for urban elites. Success means connecting rural clinics by satellite, equipping community health workers with mobile tools, and helping mothers in remote villages access care via SMS. 

A truly African digital health system won’t mirror Western models, but it will respond to African realities. Africa does not need to wait for permission to innovate. The building blocks are already here: local talent, growing connectivity, and a new generation of entrepreneurs solving real-world problems. What remains is the political, financial, and institutional alignment to turn promise into progress. HealthTech in Africa is no longer a theoretical future. It is a present possibility—if the right moves are made today. 

You want to know more?
Watch our latest poscast episode with Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Advisor at the Africa CDC