A Plan to Make Africa The Center of Global Healthcare Data Services

Africa’s Health Data Revolution

Last year I had the pleasure of speaking at two large African Union Events - The ECOSOCC, and The AU Private Sector Forum.

One message became abundantly clear. Africa is tired of being seen as just a consumer. We want to both have a seat at the table, and be a driving force for the continent’s interests.?

As noble as that goal is, it won’t happen unless how Africa comes to the table changes.?

We often mirror the European ways of doing things, (whether or not that’s a good thing, bad, or neo-colonialism is up for debate).

One thing is for sure, that approach to Data Services won’t work.

We’re already seeing how Europe is being left behind in the Data and AI race, with some of the best AI products not being accessible to Europeans.?

This is beginning to create a gap between the AI haves and AI have nots.?

My Vision for Africa

Transform Africa into the definitive global powerhouse for health data.?

I see a spirit of innovation, and embracing risk in a measured and risk-adjusted way. This is what I believe is the perfect environment for Healthcare Data Innovations.?

In Africa you are having cutting-edge research, interconnected hospitals, and supportive governments. While the journey is an ongoing learning experience, it has only strengthened my conviction that Africa has everything it takes—talent, resilience, and an unmatched spirit of innovation—to lead the global health data landscape.

Below is a strategy-driven approach that highlights each key area where Africa can excel and outlines how we can collectively drive this transformation.

Strategy 1: Align Data Collection with Africa’s Unique Potential

Opportunity:

Africa’s vast and diverse populations offer a goldmine of health data, from genetic variations to regional disease patterns. Harnessing this data responsibly can drive groundbreaking medical insights for both local and global benefit.

Plan:

• Value-Driven Data Collection: Focus on the 5 pieces of data that matters:

1. Who a patient is
2. Why they sought healthcare
3. What’s wrong with them
4. What treatment they get and
5. The Health Outcome.

So far, the data collection has been focused on impact reporting. A way for donors to check that their money is being spent in a way that helps people. This may be useful when writing quarterly reports, but the moment it’s done it gets thrown in the virtual trash never to be looked at again.

• Strong Stakeholder Engagement: Equip local governments, community leaders, and international organizations with the information to ask the right questions, and understand how data is being captured, stored and used.

This will ensure the data is relevant, ethical, and beneficial at every level.

Key Takeaway:

When you align data strategies with the region’s immediate health priorities, you spark innovations that truly matter—both for Africa and the world.

Strategy 2: Building Resilient Infrastructure to Power Data

Plan:

Leverage Emerging Technologies: Partner with more locally produced and used apps, sustainable energy sources, and innovative connectivity options to reach under-served areas.

Share Learnings with the Industry: Too many times I’ve spoken to health-tech founders who want to “sell data” and within minutes I realise that they have no clue on what data is valuable, to whom, or how much it is worth. This takes years of back and forth conversations, trial and error, and VERY patient investors to give you the time needed to get this knowledge.?

I will open source a lot of this learning so that;?

(A) - Founders don’t have to make the same mistakes as I did, and

(B) To address Africa's bad marketing problem

Key Takeaway:

The problem isn’t the amount or quality of the data being collected here, it’s the perception that the data doesn’t exist or is poor quality. The more of us evangelize that there’s good data here, the better we all will do.?

Strategy 3: Maximizing Funding Opportunities for Sustainable Growth

Opportunity:

Global investors tend to see Africa’s potential strictly from a consumer perspective. Local investors know how to build solutions for resource constrained environments. Of which half of the world falls into that category. Tapping into both pools will ensure well-rounded growth.

Plan:

Present Tangible Results: Seeing is believing. So we plan to shout louder and more often about how our data is being used to do some amazing things on the continent.?

Final Thoughts: The Future Is Bright

The dream of making Africa the world’s leading health data hub may seem just a dream. But to me it’s very achievable. It will need determination, creativity, and hunger. But Africa has that in spades.?

Africa’s moment in health data leadership is here, and with the right strategies in place, there’s no limit to what we can achieve—together.