Smart Africa, Africa Prosperity Network, eHealth Innovation Centre Unite at GITEX Africa to Drive Borderless Digital Healthcare across the Continent

At GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech on Thursday, a high-level meeting brought together key African leaders in digital transformation and healthcare to advance discussions on building a borderless e-health ecosystem across the continent.

The meeting with Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, featured Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN); Prof. Anass Doukkali, President of the eHealth Innovation Centre (CleS) and former Health Minister of Morocco, Hicham El Achgar, Vice President of CleS and board member of APN; alongside Ralph Oyini, Director of Digital Transformation and Services, and Thelma Quaye, Director of Digital Infrastructure, Skills and Empowerment (Gender), both of Smart Africa.

Discussions centred on the digital infrastructure and policy frameworks required to enable seamless, cross-border healthcare delivery in Africa. A borderless e-health system would allow patients’ medical records to be securely accessed across countries, enable telemedicine without regulatory barriers, support interoperable insurance systems, and ensure continuity of care wherever individuals travel on the continent.

They noted that Africa already possesses the foundational legal and institutional frameworks to support this vision. The African Continental Free Trade Area provides the basis for cross-border trade in services, including digital health. The AU Free Movement Protocol enables the movement of patients and healthcare professionals, while the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol establishes rules for trusted digital transactions, interoperability, and data flows. Complementing these is the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, which provides essential safeguards for data privacy and cybersecurity, particularly critical in handling sensitive medical information.

A key enabler identified was the development of a continent-wide, interoperable digital identity system. Through the Smart Africa Trust Alliance (SATA) initiative, efforts are underway to create a secure and mutually recognised digital ID framework for all Africans and AU Member States. Such a system would allow patients, healthcare providers, and institutions to authenticate identities and exchange data securely across borders, building trust and reducing fraud in digital health ecosystems.

The meeting also highlighted the pivotal role of the eHealth Innovation Centre (CleS) as Morocco’s national digital health hub. Operating through a multi-stakeholder model, CleS is driving digital health transformation through policy advisory, capacity building, innovation support, and ecosystem coordination. Its partnerships with global institutions such as the World Health Organisation, HIMSS, and IHE Catalyst ensure alignment with international standards. Key initiatives include interoperability and digital maturity frameworks, AI implementation in healthcare, and a Digital Health Observatory to guide national progress.

The engagement underscored that while Africa’s frameworks for integration are largely in place, accelerated implementation and coordination remain critical. Participants agreed that aligning trade, mobility, digital policy, and identity systems could unlock a truly borderless healthcare ecosystem, positioning Africa to deliver accessible, technology-driven healthcare for its 1.5 billion people.

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