At the 2nd Health Scientific Conference, one message was clear: Africa has the talent and solutions to shape its own healthcare future. The panel, moderated by Valentine Kamau, explored how technology, data, local manufacturing, and financing can work together to strengthen health systems and bring #UniversalHealthCoverage (UHC) within reach.
Joseph Mutweleli of Jacaranda Health opened the discussion with a stark reminder that Kenya loses around 15 mothers every day to preventable causes. Their digital platform, PROMPs, is making a difference by delivering maternal health guidance via SMS, reaching women even in the most remote areas who only have basic “Kabambe” phones. The system processes over 10,000 questions daily, quickly identifying danger signs and prompting mothers to seek care, all while combining AI with support from a clinical help desk to ensure the human touch remains central.
The conversation then turned to Henry Odero on the role of data and AI in shaping policy. African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is working to make health data FAIR; findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, so it can drive informed decisions. Their tools, including Faraja, which helps community health workers screen for mental health, and Policy Lens AI, which analyzes policy documents to identify gaps, demonstrate how technology can turn research and information into actionable health solutions.
Innovation, however, is only as strong as the funding that supports it. Benjamin Barwa from Villgro Africa highlighted the need for patient, risk-tolerant capital that allows local innovators to move from ideas to scalable solutions. By providing staged financing grants for early prototyping and equity or matching funds for scaling, they help de-risk projects while enabling them to grow sustainably.
Wambui Nyabero, CEO of MEDevice Africa, emphasized that #UHC depends on more than digital tools; it also relies on physical medical devices. Locally manufactured equipment must be designed for African contexts, developed alongside healthcare workers who understand day-to-day challenges, and supported through government policies, training, and incentives to ensure quality, accessibility, and sustainability.
Finally, Dr Farzana Sunderji shared how Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals is reducing reliance on imported medicines by establishing Africa’s first modular pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Kisumu. By combining blockchain for traceability with strong public-private partnerships and capacity-building initiatives, they are creating a model for affordable, high-quality, and locally sustainable pharmaceutical production.
The panel’s message was simple but powerful: when innovators, policymakers, and health workers align, Africa can move closer to healthcare that works for everyone.
