The Africa HealthTech Summit (AHTS) 2025 closed on a high note, reaffirming Africa’s commitment to harnessing technology and innovation to build inclusive, data-driven, and resilient health systems capable of delivering Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The three-day continental gathering, held from October 13th to 15th, brought together Ministers, AI experts, health professionals, investors, and development partners under the theme “Connected care: Scaling innovation towards UHC.”
Co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda, Africa CDC, and Smart Africa, the summit positioned Rwanda once again as a leading hub for digital transformation in health.
It served as a convening ground for forward-thinking ideas and practical collaborations aimed at ensuring that innovation does not end at the pilot stage but reaches the last mile of care, from hospitals to community health workers.
From innovation to impact
During the discussions, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire, set a decisive tone by challenging stakeholders to focus on long-term system transformation rather than short-term experimentation.
“Pilots don’t save lives, systems do,” she stated, urging governments, funders, and innovators to align digital solutions with national priorities.
The Minister underscored four guiding principles for digital health advancement, equity by design, trust and safety, interoperability, and sustainability, stressing that innovation must reach “every clinic, every community health worker, every mother, and every child.”
Across the summit, innovators and policymakers shared evidence of how Africa’s digital health ecosystem is evolving from fragmented solutions to integrated platforms that connect patients, facilities, and data systems in real time.
However, participants agreed that this transformation demands predictable financing, supportive regulations, and coordinated governance to achieve scale.
Digital innovation for health equity
The role of digital tools in bridging health inequities and advancing UHC took center stage. Dr. Umar Ansari, Global Head of AI Solutions at Abbott, reflected on Africa’s ongoing struggle to balance its disease burden with limited resources.
“The goal is to unite, digitize, and transform, ensuring the right care for the right patient at the right time, the first time,” he emphasized.
On the other hand, Dr. Mary Rodgers, Associate Research Fellow at Abbott Diagnostics, highlighted lessons from the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, stressing that resilience starts long before a crisis.
“The best way to prepare for the next pandemic is to build healthier, more resilient communities today,” she noted.
Experts demonstrated how AI, connected diagnostics, and data analytics are optimizing laboratory systems, cutting turnaround times, and improving clinical decision-making. Yet, speakers agreed that technology alone is not enough, it must be coupled with investments in human capacity and a culture that values data-driven health systems.
Turning data into decisions
Data governance and real-time intelligence emerged as a unifying theme across discussions. Dr. Muhammed Semakula, Permanent Secretary in Rwanda’s Ministry of Health, emphasized that “real-time data, not historical records, is the cornerstone of evidence-based decision-making.”
He cited the National Health Intelligence Centre (NHIC) as an example of how Rwanda integrates data across multiple systems to drive efficiency, policy alignment, and patient-centered care.
Through such models, countries can achieve measurable impact, such as Rwanda’s reported 50% reduction in medical supply expenses through digitized procurement and forecasting.
Panelists also highlighted the growing importance of digital infrastructure, from broadband connectivity to regional cloud systems, in enabling predictive analytics, disease modeling, and connected clinics. Rwanda’s leadership in this field was widely cited as a model that can be adapted across Africa.
Strengthening primary health care through standards
At the heart of discussions was the recognition that primary health care (PHC) remains the backbone of equitable health delivery. Dr. Evode Niyibizi, Senior Policy Advisor at Rwanda’s Health Intelligence Centre, described Rwanda’s approach to building a fully digitized PHC system
“When the patient journey is digitized, every facility becomes an entry point to one unified health system,” he said.
Experts from Africa CDC, PATH, and Medtronic Labs reinforced the need for standards-driven architecture, robust infrastructure, and a digitally literate workforce. They emphasized that innovations must be built on national systems, respect data sovereignty, and ensure inclusivity at every level, from rural health posts to national data centers.
Financing the digital future
Sustainability and financing emerged as pivotal concerns. Jean Kagubare of the Gates Foundation observed that “Scaling health innovations is not just about technology, it requires integrated planning in finance, governance, human capacity, and infrastructure.”
Panelists agreed that moving from pilot projects to national scale requires coordinated investments, transparent governance, and measurable returns on investment. Rwanda’s community-based health insurance was cited as an example of how policy coherence and predictable financing can turn innovation into impact.
Participants also pointed to the growing potential of public-private partnerships to co-finance digital infrastructure, as seen in initiatives such as Novartis’ Cardio for Rwanda and Philips’ AI-driven diagnostics.
Regional AI and cloud data centers were discussed as cost-efficient solutions to Africa’s computing and data storage challenges.
A connected vision for Africa
The Africa HealthTech Summit 2025 concluded with a shared vision that technology, when paired with strong governance and local ownership, can transform health systems and bring UHC within reach.
From real-time data to interoperable systems, from youth-led startups to continental partnerships, Africa’s health transformation is already underway. The challenge now lies in ensuring that innovation is inclusive, sustainable, and truly connected to the needs of every citizen.
As Kigali continues to stand at the forefront of Africa’s digital health revolution, AHTS 2025 affirmed one truth above all, that the future of healthcare in Africa will be digital, data-driven, and designed for everyone.
