Health
Rethinking African Healthcare Through AI Integration
By Ifthakaar Shaik
The African healthcare industry faces an immediate challenge: a dire shortage of skilled professionals, leading to alarmingly low doctor and nurse-to-population ratios in many countries. Training medical professionals, especially specialists like pathologists or oncologists, is a multi-year-long process. Moreover, foundational education at the primary and secondary levels is crucial to supply tertiary institutions with a stream of candidates equipped with the necessary aptitude, literacy, and numeracy skills to pursue medicine.
Recent technological leaps catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding telecommunications infrastructure, including ventures like Starlink, have bridged some of the distance between communities in need of medical services. Telemedicine offers those with limited physical access to healthcare professionals a chance to benefit from their expertise. Still, the scope of what can be accomplished via a video call is limited. Accurate diagnoses are particularly challenging. Medical professionals rely heavily on information relayed by patients or, in the best-case scenarios, by lesser-skilled colleagues following instructions remotely.
Compounding these issues, Africa grapples with a healthcare brain drain. To shore up shortages in their own healthcare systems, “developed” markets actively poach African healthcare workers, further depleting the continent’s medical resources.
It’s within this landscape that artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a revolutionary force in healthcare. Its precise deployment can literally mean the difference between life and death in underserved areas and can dramatically reduce healthcare costs in the neediest markets.
Creating an onramp for usaical Diagnoge before reaching the AI tipping point
AI’s promise in healthcare is undeniable. However, this potential can be wasted if we fail to bridge the divide between the digital realm and real-world applications. The most groundbreaking healthcare software becomes moot if not pragmatically integrated into devices used on the ground.
Our journey at VitruvianMD illustrates this challenge. Though our primary focus is healthcare, AI remains our foundational tool. One significant motivation behind our company’s inception was to address the skill shortage in pathology, an essential but understaffed field in Africa.
Our initial target was malaria. In 2021, malaria claimed around 593,000 lives in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 96% of global malaria deaths. Initially, it seemed that AI could assist in addressing this problem; however, as our company development progressed, it became evident that we needed tangible means to bridge the gap between AI’s theoretical benefits and practical implementation. Collaborating with experts, we merged AI with biomedical engineering, creating a universal-fit microscope camera. Equipped with cutting-edge software, this camera provides users with detailed analyses of their samples.
Taking this integrated approach and working in partnership with the medical community, we were able to develop tools addressing not only malaria but other conditions that benefit from timely pathology services.
We’re even moving towards a space where even non-pathologist medical professionals are able to accurately analyse samples. Additionally, pathologists could soon be able to remotely analyse samples.
AI can fill skill voids and reduce costs
This is no small gain. In transit, a lot can go wrong. A blood sample could become contaminated, be sent to the wrong place or not arrive at all. By providing on-site testers with enough information to either make a diagnosis or communicate what they receive to skilled personnel in a different location, we mitigate the transport risk inherent in a region with such a low pathologist-patient ratio. This doesn’t even factor in the everyday infrastructural obstacles that patients throughout the continent grapple with.
Removing these kinds of obstacles results in quicker diagnoses and decreased expenses throughout the healthcare process. These benefits can then be directly utilised to enhance patient care at the point of service. In severe circumstances, a delay in pathological diagnosis, for whatever cause, could mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
Additionally, by enabling those who are not pathologists to perform tasks within pathology, the camera and its accompanying software assist in bridging a significant skills gap. As it stands, there is only one pathologist for every million people in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, this statistic is somewhat skewed, with the majority of these pathologists being based in South Africa.
The forthcoming decades will witness AI’s transformative impact on healthcare. As we stand on the precipice of this revolution, it’s evident that the integration of AI into healthcare will shape its future, promising substantial benefits for Africa and other developing nations.
Over the next two to three decades, AI is poised to revolutionise healthcare in ways we can only begin to fathom now. At present, we’re merely glimpsing the tip of the iceberg in terms of AI’s potential in this sector. The nexus between the future of healthcare and AI integration will be indomitable. Particularly, African nations and other developing regions have a golden opportunity to reap substantial benefits from these advancements.
Ifthakaar Shaik is the co-founder of Vitruvian Medical Diagnostics
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 500 residents of Ajegunle in Lagos enjoyed free healthcare services, comprehensive health education, youth mentorship, and community engagement activities at a one-day event organised by Queens Palm Support Initiative (QPSI).
This is part of the organisation’s Reach 1000 Initiative, deliberately designed to address immediate healthcare needs and empower individuals with the knowledge, resources, and support required to live healthier, more productive, and dignified lives.
QPSI is a non-profit organisation established by Ms Sabrina Ozma dedicated to advancing community development, healthcare advocacy, youth empowerment, leadership education, and social impact interventions across Nigeria. Fou
At the Ajegunle programme held at Bola Ige Millennium School, Tolu Complex, participants received a comprehensive range of healthcare services facilitated by accredited medical professionals, including general medical consultations and health assessments, malaria screening, diagnosis and treatment, blood sugar testing and diabetes awareness, comprehensive eye examinations and vision assessments, as well as specialist neurosurgical consultations provided by medical experts from Dukes Neurosurgery and Specialist Hospital.
Also, Reals Pharmaceutical Limited provided and distributed antimalarial medications to beneficiaries, ensuring continuity of treatment and improved health outcomes beyond the day of the outreach.
Ms Ozma, while speaking at the event, said access to quality healthcare remains one of the most pressing challenges confronting underserved communities across Nigeria.
According to her, interventions such as the Reach 1000 Initiative are deliberately designed to close this gap, not only by addressing immediate healthcare needs but by empowering individuals with the knowledge, resources, and support required to live healthier, more productive, and dignified lives.
Beyond healthcare delivery, the initiative featured structured health education and awareness sessions focused on disease prevention and early symptom recognition, personal hygiene and sanitation best practices, nutrition and food safety, healthy lifestyle habits, and the importance of routine medical check-ups.
In addition, a media personality and youth advocate, Ms Blessing Lopez, led engaging conversations around personal growth, confidence, and purpose-driven living, while entertainer Larry J inspired participants through discussions on resilience, positive decision-making, and the importance of becoming active contributors to societal progress.
The programme also attracted notable participation from government institutions and civil society organisations, highlighting the importance of multi-sector collaboration in addressing community challenges.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, engaged participants on safeguarding, protection against domestic and sexual violence, and the importance of building safer communities.
Further, representatives of the Cleen Foundation facilitated discussions on crime prevention, community security, and the role of young people in promoting civic responsibility and the rule of law, while the Crime Prevention Partnership (CPP) led discussions on community-led safety strategies and citizen participation in fostering safer neighbourhoods.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has urged global investors and innovators to tap into the Nigerian healthcare ecosystem, which is projected to grow by 7.1 per cent, reaching a market value of $161.7 million by 2027.
This advice was given by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mr Isiaq Salako, at the opening of the World Health Expo (WHX in Lagos 2026), formerly known as Medic West Africa, on Tuesday in Lagos.
The broader West African market is expected to reach more than $11 billion, providing investors with an opportunity to get a good return on investment.
“Nigeria is open for healthcare investment. We want platforms like WHX in Lagos to serve as a critical conduit for translating this investment ambition into tangible technology access for our hospitals and patients,” the Minister, who declared the event open on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, said.
He praised the organisers of the expo, which welcomed over 8,000 healthcare professionals and 500 exhibitors spanning 40 countries, for growing the programme into a vital catalyst for West African healthcare transformation.
Addressing the stark reality that between 85 per cent and 99 per cent of medical equipment and in vitro diagnostics in West Africa are currently imported, Mr Salako outlined aggressive federal interventions designed to dismantle supply chain vulnerabilities and skyrocket local manufacturing capabilities.
He also spotlighted key presidential directives, including the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chains (PVAC) and the Presidential Executive Order for the Pharmaceutical and Allied Sectors, both engineered to catalyse health security, drive economic growth, and generate employment through strategic private-sector collaborations and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“Our commitment to improving access to modern equipment and technologies in hospitals is backed by concrete action. The government has inaugurated the $1.2 billion Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) initiative, a comprehensive overhaul addressing financing, workforce development, and infrastructure.
“Furthermore, for the 2025 fiscal year, the Federal Government committed N402 billion specifically for health sector infrastructure investment,” he stated, also highlighting an expansive health infrastructure upgrade program in partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
According to him, this phased initiative is actively delivering oncology and nuclear medicine centres across six tertiary hospitals, alongside establishing 22 modern medical diagnostic centres, seven cardiac catheterisation laboratories, and expanded radiology and clinical pathology capabilities distributed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Also speaking, the chief executive of EHA Clinics, Dr Ifunanya Ilodibe, stressed the urgent need to support and unify fragmented growth within the healthcare system, noting that WHX serves as the precise ecosystem platform required to bring together policymakers, clinicians, and investors to move actionable strategies forward.
Also, the President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and Country Director of PharmAccess, Njide Ndili, said, “HFN bridges the gaps in health financing, opening up critical connections to achieve true health sovereignty,” praising Africa CDC’s historical intervention, particularly during the Ebola crisis and urged participants to utilise the WHX exhibition floor to forge collaborations capable of scaling locally produced medical equipment.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Mr Akin Abayomi, on his part, highlighted the enforcement of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act in Lagos State as a landmark regulatory milestone. The Act mandates health insurance for all residents, structuring the financial environment to guarantee medical protection across various socioeconomic levels.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Regional Representative of the Director General of the Africa CDC Western Regional Coordinating Centre, Prof. Aliko Ahmed, called on leaders in geopolitical positions to enact liberating trade policies aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to shape the continental agenda, emphasising that the Africa CDC will fiercely prioritise building trust in locally manufactured healthcare products.
WHX in Lagos 2026 runs for three days, featuring accredited forums, cutting-edge product showcases, and high-level networking tracks designed to translate billions in public and private investment into immediate technology access for hospitals and patients.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The coroner’s inquest into the death of 21-month-old Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, suffered a major setback on Wednesday after Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital informed the coroner’s court that it had obtained an order of the Lagos State High Court staying further proceedings in the probe.
The matter came before Coroner Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji at Court 9, Igbosere Magisterial District, Yaba, Lagos, and was scheduled for the commencement of witness’ testimony.
Counsel to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Professor Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), told the court that the hospital had initiated judicial review proceedings challenging, among other issues, the jurisdiction of the Coroner’s Court to conduct the inquest in the absence of the deceased’s body.
He disclosed that the High Court had granted leave for the judicial review application and ordered that the leave operate as a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the suit.
The senior advocate also informed the court that although the Lagos State Attorney-General’s Office denied seeing the originating processes from the High Court, proof of service was available.
Responding on behalf of the family, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) confirmed receipt of both the originating processes and the High Court order.
While acknowledging the obligation of all parties to comply with court orders, he informed the coroner that the family had already filed four witness statements on oath, including that of Dr Ivara Esege, as well as statements from independent medical experts from Nigeria and the United States, who are expected to testify at the inquest.
Mr Pinheiro urged the court not to adjourn the matter indefinitely, but to a definite date after the court vacation to enable parties to report on developments in the High Court proceedings.
He also highlighted the need for transparency and public confidence in the fact-finding process, saying, “He who is innocent does not fear an open inquest.”
Counsel representing Atlantis Paediatric Hospital supported the request for a definite adjournment rather than an indefinite postponement.
Following submissions by counsel, the Coroner adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for a report on the status of the High Court proceedings.
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