The fourth Africa HealthTech Summit opened in Kigali on Oct. 13 with a strong call for African governments to adopt enabling policies that match the speed of technological advancement in healthcare.
Speaking at the summit’s official opening, Rwanda’s Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana emphasized the need for regulatory frameworks that support digital transformation across the continent’s health systems.
Nsanzimana highlighted the importance of aligning health policies with innovation and called for investment in skilled human capital to accelerate Africa’s health sector transformation.
Held under the theme “Connected Care: Scaling Innovation Towards UHC (Universal Health Coverage),” the summit convened more than 2,500 participants, including government officials, tech leaders, and global health experts, to explore how digital tools, artificial intelligence, and data-sharing platforms can improve disease detection, health service delivery, and outcomes.
Experts from the Africa CDC and Carnegie Mellon University Africa reinforced the minister’s remarks, urging stronger regional collaboration and infrastructure to support tech-driven care models.
Rwanda’s National Health Intelligence Centre was highlighted as a model for how countries can use real-time data to inform health policy and intervention.
Now in its fourth edition, the Africa HealthTech Summit continues to serve as a key platform for scaling digital solutions in pursuit of universal health coverage across the continent.