Africa’s next leap in health systems will come from lateral collaboration, not competition

Over the past decade, Africa has made remarkable progress in digital health, epidemic preparedness, primary healthcare reform, local manufacturing, and the integration of innovation into public systems. Yet despite the strides, one truth remains constant: our greatest untapped advantage is each other.

This reality came into sharp focus for me over the past week in Cairo. What began as a series of formal engagements quickly became something deeper, a reminder of what becomes possible when African institutions connect with clarity, humility, and shared purpose.

“This alignment is not something to gloss over. It represents a rare moment of continental convergence, a shared recognition that Africa’s future health security will not be built by fragmentation, but by interoperable, people-centred, and future-ready systems.”

Representing eHealth Africa at meetings with Egypt’s health leadership, including the Egypt Healthcare Authority and other national institutions, I saw firsthand how much opportunity exists when we collaborate laterally, i.e., Africa – Africa, South – South, and Africa – MENA. These are not abstract diplomatic slogans. They are the partnerships that shape whether our health systems can meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Now more than ever, Africa’s development story is being rewritten, not just through traditional donor mechanisms, but through a widening constellation of actors: governments, innovators, philanthropies, global tech firms, and even unexpected influencers. And this new landscape calls for a different kind of leadership: collaborative, imaginative, and deeply grounded in system realities.

When purpose and infrastructure meet

In Cairo, our visit to the Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357 was a powerful example of what intentional investment can achieve. Walking through their research and clinical facilities, observing their precision in data systems, and listening to teams who have committed their entire careers to improving outcomes in paediatric oncology, it was clear that capacity exists on our continent at world-class levels. Not capacity in theory. Capacity in practice. At scale.

Institutions like 57357 show what becomes possible when purpose, science, and service to humanity meet with long-term investment. And importantly, they show how much Africa can learn from Africa, not as a fallback, but as a first option.

A continent aligned on the same issues

Across our discussions at the Egypt Healthcare Authority Annual Forum, a clear set of shared priorities emerged – digital transformation, primary healthcare revitalisation, universal health coverage, stronger data systems and evidence, AI-enabled decision support, supply chain resilience, and more responsive epidemic intelligence.

These are the same questions being debated in Abuja, Kigali, Nairobi, Accra, Dakar, and Lusaka. The same challenges keep ministers awake at night. The same opportunities inspire innovators and young entrepreneurs. The same bottlenecks frustrate health workers and implementing partners.

This alignment is not something to gloss over. It represents a rare moment of continental convergence, a shared recognition that Africa’s future health security will not be built by fragmentation, but by interoperable, people-centred, and future-ready systems.

Read also: Digital health at the frontlines: How small tools can deliver big change for universal health coverage in Nigeria

A changing global landscape

Meanwhile, the global development ecosystem itself is shifting. Traditional aid is facing a communications crisis. Major humanitarian agencies are announcing cuts. Political transitions are reshaping priorities. New actors, from philanthropic giants to tech foundations to digital influencers, are stepping onto the stage with unconventional tools and unconventional reach.

This is not a moment for Africa to retreat or wait for direction. It is a moment for Africa to set the tone, articulate its priorities, and build coalitions that reflect its lived realities.

And that requires us to broaden how we engage, not only upward (donor-recipient) but outward and sideways, across borders, sectors, and continents.

Lateral partnership as a strategic advantage

When African institutions work together, grounded in evidence, aligned with government priorities, and backed by clear operational capability, the impact becomes exponential. Not additive. Exponential.

The talent is here. The technical depth is here. The innovation and courage are here. What we sometimes lack is coordination, visibility, and the confidence to value our own ecosystems as much as we value external partnerships.

A new ethic of collaboration

We do not need to compete for visibility or validation. We need to collaborate for scale.

Collaboration does not weaken national ownership; it strengthens it. It does not erase local context; it elevates it. And it does not undermine global partnerships; it makes them more strategic, more sustainable, and more attuned to the realities they seek to support.

This is the ethic that shaped our engagements in Cairo, and it is the ethic that must shape Africa’s next decade of health transformation.

Looking towards 2026

As we move toward 2026, several high-impact opportunities stand before us; stronger Africa-led digital health architectures aligned with national and continental priorities; data-driven blueprints for primary healthcare reform; AI-enabled tools tailored to African languages, workflows, and public sector realities; cross-border epidemic intelligence systems that move as fast as pathogens do; youth-led innovation ecosystems pushing the boundaries of possibility; and public-private partnerships grounded in transparency, value for money, and mutual accountability.

None of these ambitions can be realised in isolation. They require what Cairo reminded us of so vividly: bold collaboration, grounded in humility and driven by shared purpose.

A continent on the cusp

Africa is not waiting to be invited into the future. Africa is the future.

And the future will be shaped by those who choose partnership over ego, progress over politics, evidence over noise, and systems-strengthening over short-term wins.

Cairo was a reminder that when we show up for each other, institution to institution, country to country, region to region, the possibilities expand.

The work continues. The partnerships deepen. The horizon widens.

Africa’s next leap will come not from competition, but from collaboration that is intentional, courageous, and deeply anchored in the realities of our people.

And on that front, we are moving in the right direction.

Ota Akhigbe is the Director of Partnerships & Programs at eHealth Africa, where she leads multi-country strategy, collaboration, and health systems innovation across Africa, the MENA region, and global partners.

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