The Cotonou Declaration on Digital Transformation, adopted in November 2025 by ministers in Western and Central Africa, is a crucial policy document poised to reshape the digital landscape of the continent’s health sector. By outlining clear, measurable commitments, the declaration addresses persistent challenges faced by the African healthtech sector and shifts focus from fragmented, country-specific initiatives to a coordinated regional effort. This collaborative approach provides essential momentum for policymakers, health innovators, and healthcare institutions across Africa.
Enhancing the Foundational Pillars for Healthtech
At its core, the declaration emphasizes building a resilient digital infrastructure necessary for scaling healthtech solutions. Universal connectivity remains a primary goal, aiming for affordable and reliable broadband access for 90% of the population by 2030. This initiative is vital as it seeks to bridge the “user gap”—the disconnect between internet coverage and actual usage by lowering internet costs. Improved connectivity will enable telemedicine to serve rural clinics, support cloud-based electronic health records (EHRs), and empower innovators to develop applications unaffected by high data costs.
Furthermore, the declaration highlights the deployment of interoperable Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including Digital Identity and Payment Systems. A unified digital ID system simplifies patient registration and management across healthcare facilities, while interoperable payment systems support micro-payments for health services and insurance premiums. This fosters greater financial transparency and accountability within the sector.
Driving innovation through AI and skill development
The Cotonou Declaration also emphasizes the advancement of technology and human capacity development, both of which are essential for healthtech innovation. It mandates implementing AI application programs in priority sectors, signaling government support for technologies like Artificial Intelligence. This provides healthtech startups with a clear indication of national investment priorities, enabling them to focus on developing AI-driven solutions for diagnostics and predictive modeling of diseases such as malaria and cholera. The plan to establish three regional AI centers of excellence by 2028 will further enhance access to high-performance computing resources and research support for African AI health solutions.
Alongside technological progress, the declaration sets an ambitious goal to train 20 million people in digital skills. This effort is crucial for addressing both supply and demand within the healthtech ecosystem. By cultivating a growing pool of digitally literate health workers skilled in using EHRs, telehealth platforms, and diagnostic apps, the declaration aims to close the human capital gap that often slows technology adoption.
Future benefits and policy alignment
The Cotonou Declaration creates a more predictable and unified environment for healthtech stakeholders. Health institutions will benefit from improved resource mobilization and operational efficiencies through aligned national digital strategies, establishing clear pathways to fund technology adoption, such as EHRs and telemedicine equipment. Enhanced data systems will strengthen real-time disease surveillance and resource management.
For health innovators, harmonized policies on cybersecurity and data protection will lower regulatory barriers, enabling solutions developed in one country to scale quickly across the region. Additionally, shared regional computing resources will reduce costs for developing new technologies.
For ordinary Africans, this focus on lowering internet costs and expanding coverage directly addresses disparities in healthcare access. The digitization of health services allows for more efficient resource use, leading to better health outcomes and reducing out-of-pocket expenses.
Finally, policymakers will see that the declaration provides strong political backing to accelerate the development of regional digital health policies. It offers a clear roadmap for coordination that aligns with broader healthcare transformation goals.
In summary, the Cotonou Declaration signals a continental commitment to harnessing digital technology as a key tool for overcoming traditional healthcare challenges. Through investments in infrastructure, AI, and skills training, it unlocks the potential for healthtech to evolve from niche solutions into an integrated, scalable system that promotes health equity and drives economic growth across Africa.
