Opportunities, Risks and Side Effects: African Digital Health Innovation during Covid 19

On June 22 nd , 14.00 to 15.30 hours, the State Chancellery of North Rhine-
Westphalia and One-World-Network NRW will present a joint online event
investigating the impact of digital tools on the African health sector.
Throughout the past year, a number of African countries fiercely promoted health
Apps, Open Source Medical Supplies and E-Health measures. Particularly during the
Covid pandemic, agile start-ups managed to create solutions “made in Africa” for the
continent’s health problems.
Are mobile health solutions a promising market for African maker spaces? Digital
innovation could be the key to provide basic services that can improve people’s lives.
Spare medical parts, face shields and prosthetic devices manufactured by 3 D-
printers in Ghana, Togo and Kenia are deployed in hospitals. Tunisia and Morocco
quickly de-bureaucratized their health systems during the pandemic: The informal
sector was included into the crisis assistance. Actors in the health system digitalised
at high speed and set up networks. In some countries, apps were used to monitor
curfews. However, digital solutions need to be affordable in order not to widen the
digital divide.

We are looking forward to a welcome from Dr Mark Speich, State Secretary for
Federal, European and International Affairs NRW, as well as contributions by
Geraldine de Bastion, expert on digitalisation in Africa, and Dr Moderick Chibi,
advisor of the WHO-office in Brazzaville, Kongo. There will also be inputs from Dr
Bernhard Braune, German Federal Ministry for Economic Development, and Dr
Laud Anthony Basing, biomedical engineer, microbiologist and founder of Incas
Diagnostics, Ghana.

The workshop is conducted in English via Zoom.
Please register via e-mail to mahina.karimova@eine-welt-netz-nrw.de