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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Health sector leaders, government officials, development partners and technology experts have called for the rapid scale-up of proven digital health innovations across Africa, stressing that sustainable expansion rather than endless pilot projects is critical to strengthening health systems and improving healthcare outcomes.
The call was made at the Pre-Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS) Abuja Roundtable, organised by Vantage Health Technologies, a member of the BroadReach Group, in partnership with the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED).
The high-level dialogue, themed “From Pilot to Scale: Shaping the Future of Health Innovation,” brought together representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), development partners, academia, implementing organisations and private sector stakeholders.
Participants examined how African countries can move successful digital health innovations beyond pilot stages into sustainable, nationally owned programmes that strengthen healthcare delivery and improve population health outcomes.
While acknowledging significant progress in digital health innovation across the continent, stakeholders noted that many promising initiatives continue to face challenges related to sustainability, financing, interoperability, governance and long-term adoption.
Speaking at the event, Paul Bhuhi of Vantage Health Technologies said the focus of digital health discussions has shifted from proving the value of technology to ensuring successful innovations are scaled sustainably.
“Across Africa, we are seeing unprecedented investment in digital health innovation. The challenge before us is no longer whether technology can improve health outcomes, but how to scale proven solutions sustainably,” he said.
Bhuhi emphasised that achieving scale requires deliberate planning, strong partnerships, government ownership and the integration of innovations into existing health systems rather than treating them as stand-alone interventions.
Also speaking, Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ovuoraye John urged stakeholders to move beyond repeated pilot testing of solutions that have already demonstrated impact.
“We have reached the point where we should focus on scaling, not piloting. The solutions have proven themselves, and we should work together to scale them across the country so they become part of routine health system strengthening,” he said.
He noted that expanding the use of proven digital innovations would strengthen decision-making, improve programme performance and ensure that more Nigerians benefit from technological advancements in healthcare.
Participants agreed that successful pilot projects should serve as the foundation for deliberate, country-led scale-up efforts backed by sustainable financing, institutional ownership and effective governance frameworks.
They stressed that technology alone cannot transform health systems, noting that sustainable impact depends on strong government leadership, policy alignment, workforce capacity, interoperability and effective use of data for decision-making.
Country Director of NHED, Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, said the discussions underscored the importance of integrating digital innovation into routine health system operations.
“Scaling innovation requires more than technology. It requires strong partnerships, government ownership, quality data and sustained collaboration. Proven digital health solutions must become part of routine health system strengthening if we are to improve health outcomes at scale,” he said.
Strategic Technical Adviser at NHED, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, highlighted the importance of quality data, and institutionalising digital solutions within routine health system management.
The roundtable also explored the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics in improving programme performance, strengthening disease surveillance, enhancing resource allocation and supporting more responsive health systems.
Participants further reviewed practical examples from Nigeria, including AIM250 and NaijPro720, which have demonstrated how digital tools can improve programme management, data visibility and evidence-based decision-making when integrated into existing health structures.
Presenting the NaijPro720 experience, Senior Technical Specialist at NASCP, Dr. Dike Kachiside, described the platform as a tool that transforms routine programme data into actionable intelligence.
“NaijPro720 is helping to transform programme data into actionable intelligence. Rather than simply collecting information, the platform enables programme managers to identify gaps early, analyse programme performance and make evidence-based decisions that improve service delivery at facility, state and national levels,” he said.
At the end of the deliberations, participants identified key priorities for accelerating digital health scale-up across Africa. “These include strengthening government leadership and country ownership of digital health programmes, promoting interoperability across health information systems, developing sustainable financing mechanisms, improving data governance and security, investing in workforce development and fostering stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, academia and technology providers.”
They also called for greater emphasis on innovations that demonstrate measurable improvements in programme performance and health outcomes.
Participants furrher expressed optimism that stronger partnerships, strategic investments and a greater focus on implementation at scale would accelerate the development of resilient, responsive and data-driven health systems across Africa.
Meanwhile, the recommendations from the Abuja roundtable are expected to shape discussions at the forthcoming Africa Digital Health Summit and contribute to broader efforts aimed at expanding equitable access to quality healthcare and accelerating the adoption of proven digital health innovations across the continent.
