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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Pharmacology

Digital Health Africa (DHA 2025) – Conference Report

  • Tirhani Maluleke1,2
  • Catriona Waitt3,4
  • Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente5
  • Bernd Rosenkranz2,5,6
  • Beate Kampmann7
  • Karin Steinecke8
  • Goonaseelan Colin Pillai9,10,11
11 affiliations
  1. 1Roche Products Pty Ltd
  2. 2Fundisa African Academy of Medicines Development
  3. 3University of Liverpool Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  4. 4Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases Institute
  5. 5Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University
  6. 6Institute for Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  7. 7Charité Centre for Global Health, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  8. 8Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt, Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine
  9. 9CP+ Associates GmbH
  10. 10Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cape Town
  11. 11Pharmacometrics Africa NPC
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Abstract

Introduction: The Digital Health Africa 2025 Conference (DHA-2025, https://digitalhealthafrica.org/ ) addressed the integration of digital tools within critical global health priorities, including maternal and child health (MCH), antimicrobial resistance artificial intelligence (AI), and pharmacometrics. While the adoption of digital health shows immense potential for improving healthcare access in Africa’s resource-limited environments, its practical application in the public sector remains sub-optimal due to policy misalignment and inadequate systemic investments. Digital health interventions can achieve sustained, large-scale impact when properly supported, as demonstrated by successful platforms like MomConnect in South Africa and MomCare in Kenya. However, successfully scaling these systems beyond initial pilots requires a robust foundation built on three pillars: technical capacity (infrastructure), legal legitimacy (regulation), and effective management (governance). Furthermore, while advanced tools like AI and pharmacometric modeling are now practical realities in healthcare in developed countries, the most significant challenge remains operationalizing and transitioning these sophisticated tools safely from the laboratory to the clinical bedside in Africa.

Conclusion: Scientific advancement in digital health is insufficient on its own; the true test of innovation lies in its safe and practical integration into end-user healthcare delivery. To successfully scale digital health solutions in resource-constrained settings, stakeholders must prioritize cross-continental collaborations, invest heavily in capacity building, and secure long-term commitments to infrastructure and policy development.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{maluleke2026digital,
  title = {{Digital Health Africa (DHA 2025) – Conference Report}},
  author = {Tirhani Maluleke and Catriona Waitt and Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente and Bernd Rosenkranz and Beate Kampmann and Karin Steinecke and Goonaseelan Colin Pillai},
  journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1909596},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1909596/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Digital Health Africa (DHA 2025) – Conference Report
AU  - Tirhani Maluleke
AU  - Catriona Waitt
AU  - Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente
AU  - Bernd Rosenkranz
AU  - Beate Kampmann
AU  - Karin Steinecke
AU  - Goonaseelan Colin Pillai
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/15
JO  - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO  - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1909596
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1909596/full
AB  - Introduction: The Digital Health Africa 2025 Conference (DHA-2025, https://digitalhealthafrica.org/ ) addressed the integration of digital tools within critical global health priorities, including maternal and child health (MCH), antimicrobial resistance artificial intelligence (AI), and pharmacometrics. While the adoption of digital health shows immense potential for improving healthcare access in Africa’s resource-limited environments, its practical application in the public sector remains sub-optimal due to policy misalignment and inadequate systemic investments. Digital health interventions can achieve sustained, large-scale impact when properly supported, as demonstrated by successful platforms like MomConnect in South Africa and MomCare in Kenya. However, successfully scaling these systems beyond initial pilots requires a robust foundation built on three pillars: technical capacity (infrastructure), legal legitimacy (regulation), and effective management (governance). Furthermore, while advanced tools like AI and pharmacometric modeling are now practical realities in healthcare in developed countries, the most significant challenge remains operationalizing and transitioning these sophisticated tools safely from the laboratory to the clinical bedside in Africa.  Conclusion: Scientific advancement in digital health is insufficient on its own; the true test of innovation lies in its safe and practical integration into end-user healthcare delivery. To successfully scale digital health solutions in resource-constrained settings, stakeholders must prioritize cross-continental collaborations, invest heavily in capacity building, and secure long-term commitments to infrastructure and policy development.
SN  - 1663-9812
ER  -