Experts call for tech adoption in healthcare transformation, patient-centered care

Experts have called for technology adoption in Nigeria’s healthcare transformation and prioritisation of patient-centred care. This call is part of a broader effort to modernise Nigeria’s healthcare system and improve patient outcomes.

The experts spoke at the AHEAD Africa HealthTech Conference, themed ‘Partnerships, Technology and the Future of Healthcare in Africa,’ and powered by DrugStoc, a digital platform that helps hospitals, clinics and pharmacies access genuine, high-quality medicines and medical supplies.

In his opening remarks, Chibuzo Opara, the CEO and co-founder of DrugStoc, explained that Africa’s healthcare system works best when people in government, the private sector, the insurance industry, and tech work together.

Opara emphasised two critical pillars for the sector’s evolution – a digital-first approach and the necessity of self-care.

Read also: Africa’s healthcare sovereignty hinges on 5 pillars

He spoke extensively on how stakeholders can leverage technology to transform health systems, highlighting that the industry must prioritise patient-centred self-care to drive meaningful progress.

Uchenna Elemuwa, director of Pharmacovigilance at NAFDAC, in his keynote speech, said that Sub-Saharan Africa is on the brink of a healthcare transformation driven by systemic reinvention, but warned that this future relies heavily on drug safety.

Elemuwa focused on the crucial aspect of pharmacovigilance, addressing the challenges of high prices for medical services and the influx of unsafe medications. She issued a strong call to action regarding the safety of the supply chain.

She stated, “We need to fight the counterfeit and substandard products in the market. We should all sit up to fight the war against counterfeit products.” She further noted the profound shift in digital health adoption, with pharmacies evolving into primary forms of care.

The event featured robust panel sessions where speakers deliberated on navigating digital pathways for pharma growth in Africa, financing a more resilient pharma industry and building partnerships for resilient healthcare.

During these sessions, experts explored how to utilise technology, finance and regulatory frameworks to transform pharmaceutical access and delivery systems, ensuring growth and efficiency across the sector.

Read also: Presidency tasks states to scale up domestic financing for healthcare

The conference also had engaging fireside chats which focused on strengthening managed care through public-private collaboration and human capital alignment, turning receivables into growth capital and how healthcare businesses can prepare for investor-readiness.

In these sessions, thought-leaders discussed strategies to bridge the gap between policy, capital and practice.

It had in attendance notable industry leaders and dignitaries in the health sector, including Adham Yehia, president and co-founder of DrugStoc; Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Ahmed Yakasai, past president of PSN and founder of Pharmaplus, and Mories Atoki, CEO of ABCHealth, among others.

Another highlight of this year’s AHEAD Africa Healthtech Conference was the AHEAD HealthTech Hackathon, a competitive innovation sprint designed to accelerate practical digital health solutions for Africa.

The Hackathon brought together developers, startups, product innovators, data scientists, and healthcare professionals to co-create health tech solutions that address healthcare challenges across the continent.

Folake Balogun is a renowned tech journalist who offers insightful and critical analysis of the African rapidly growing digital economy, particularly within Nigeria. She closely monitors the health of the African startup ecosystem by covering significant venture capital trends, investment deals, and the challenges faced by emerging firms. Known for her deep dives into the fintech sector, she covers the evolution of digital payments, dynamics of major financial innovations and also extends to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of connectivity by providing context to their economic and social impact.

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