Last week in Nairobi, the Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF) gathered hundreds of leaders, innovators, policymakers and funders with one shared conviction; that Africa’s digital future in health will be shaped not by technology alone, but by how intentionally we collaborate, listen, and design for the people at the centre of our systems.
For me, the week was not just another conference. It was a moment of clarity, a reminder that the questions we are trying to answer across the continent are evolving faster than the tools we have in hand. And it was also a reminder that the most important voices in this work are often the quietest ones in the room, the young people navigating health decisions through digital touchpoints we did not grow up with, using languages, platforms, incentives and cultural cues that look nothing like what our health systems are used to.
“This is where Africa is uniquely positioned. Our greatest asset is not technology; it is community. It is the continental instinct to build together, test fast, iterate, and scale what works across borders.”
This perspective has been shaping our work at eHealth Africa for the past year, especially as we lean more deeply into behaviour change, artificial intelligence, and digital demand generation for adolescents. Our Breakfast Salon at the GDHF, co-hosted with PSI, Reach Digital Health and the Bay Area Global Health Alliance, was a reflection of this shift. It brought together youth delegates, technologists, researchers, government actors, and investors to discuss one central question;
How do we build digital tools that young people actually want to use, and that meaningfully move them toward healthier lives?
This is not a theoretical question. It is a practical one, with implications for policy, funding, design, safeguarding, ethical AI, and long-term systems change.
Young people are not passive beneficiaries; They are co-architects
Across multiple sessions at GDHF, a theme emerged with surprising clarity: young people do not want to be “reached”; they want to be respected, involved, and understood. They want digital interfaces that reflect their realities, irregular access to data, shifting identities, humour, music, relationships, and the emotional complexity of adolescence.
Our youth delegates from Shujaaz reminded us that behaviour change is not born from information alone. It is born from trust. And trust is built when young people see themselves in the tools we create, their language, their anxieties, their aspirations, and their humour.
This is exactly why the Avatar Consortium, which we launched earlier this year, feels timely. It is a multi-partner initiative designed to advance AI-enabled digital interfaces that are safe, culturally grounded, evidence-driven, and tailored for underserved young people in Kenya. The prototype we unveiled, Aminata, is just the beginning of what we hope will become a scalable, continental ecosystem by 2028.
But the most important lesson is this: we cannot design for adolescents without them meaningfully shaping the process. The questions for our fireside dialogue were curated entirely by youth delegates, and they were pointed, insightful, and courageous, covering mental health escalation pathways, AI ethics, cultural nuance, safeguarding, and what it truly means to centre the user.
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AI must serve people, not the other way around
We also confronted the growing excitement (and anxiety) around AI in African health systems. AI remains one of the most misunderstood tools in global health. It holds tremendous promise, but its value will be limited if we do not build governance structures that are fit for our context.
Panellists made it clear that digital health tools in Africa must be built around the actual lives of African people. AI must reflect our languages, identities, and cultural and spiritual contexts, not imported assumptions. Protecting young people online should be built into every design decision, and data protection must be seen as a moral duty, not just a legal formality. They also stressed that none of this matters if young people cannot access the tools; issues like electricity, devices, and internet connectivity must be solved alongside innovation.
This is not a call for caution; it is a call for responsible ambition. Africa should not be on the receiving end of AI solutions built elsewhere. We have the talent, the creativity, and the lived experience to lead. But leadership will require discipline, humility, and unprecedented levels of collaboration.
Partnerships are the real infrastructure
One of the clearest takeaways from GDHF 2024/2025 is that no organisation, not even the largest, can deliver scalable digital transformation alone. The most impactful initiatives we saw in Nairobi were those built from coalitions: governments, funders, private sector players, implementers, and youth-led organisations aligning around shared purpose.
This is where Africa is uniquely positioned. Our greatest asset is not technology; it is community. It is the continental instinct to build together, test fast, iterate, and scale what works across borders.
But partnerships must be more than MoUs and good intentions. They must be operational, resourced, and accountable. In the coming year, eHealth Africa will be deepening work with partners across government, research institutions, funders, and innovators, not just to pilot tools, but to embed them into systems, evaluate impact rigorously, and scale responsibly.
Build with urgency, but not in isolation
As we enter a new year, I believe there is a window of opportunity, and we must not miss it.
Youth-centred digital health is no longer a niche conversation. It sits at the core of reproductive health, mental health, chronic disease prevention, vaccine uptake, and broader public health resilience. If we design well, Africa can set the global standard for how digital tools shape behaviour change in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and rooted in dignity.
What will it take?
It starts with truly listening to the people we aim to serve. We must design based on evidence rather than assumptions and invest in local innovators instead of importing solutions that don’t fit our context. Strengthening health systems, not working around them, is essential, as is building enabling environments for ethical AI grounded in African realities. Above all, progress will come from collaboration rather than competition, especially among implementers who share the same goals.
The next decade of digital health in Africa will not be defined by speed, but by stewardship, the courage to build deliberately, responsibly, and together.
At GDHF, I was reminded that Africa is not short on ideas. We are not short on talent. We are not short on vision. What we need now is alignment, investment, and unwavering commitment to designing for the people most often left out of digital transformation conversations.
If we can hold that line, collectively, then the future of digital health on this continent will not only be innovative. It will be equitable. It will be African-led. And it will be built to last.
Ota Akhigbe is the Director of Partnerships & Programs at eHealth Africa and a leading voice on digital health, youth engagement, and systems innovation in Africa. She champions Africa-led approaches to scaling digital tools that improve health outcomes for underserved communities.
