Why training in health informatics is key to Africa’s future health

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OPINION

By Michael Sileshi Mekbib

Across Africa, a quiet revolution is underway, one built not on new hospitals or expensive medical equipment, but on data. From rural clinics in Ethiopia to national health command centres in Kenya, a growing number of African health professionals are using digital tools to track diseases, manage vaccines, and strengthen emergency response. At the heart of this transformation lies one essential ingredient: training in health informatics.

For decades, health systems across the continent struggled with fragmented, paper-based reporting. Health workers manually logged information into registers that often remained at the facility level, delaying critical insights. Without reliable, timely data, governments found it difficult to detect outbreaks early or allocate resources effectively.

That reality began to shift when African universities and regional institutions recognised the need to train professionals at the intersection of public health and technology. Health informatics, the science of managing and analysing health data, is emerging as a cornerstone of this transformation. A skilled workforce that understands both public health and technology ensures that data is translated into action, from disease surveillance to vaccine delivery and emergency response.

This approach is already producing measurable results across many countries. Open-source digital platforms are now the backbone of national health reporting in dozens of African states, enabling integrated, near-real-time dashboards for planners and clinicians.

In Ethiopia, the rollout of electronic community health systems and a nationwide DHIS2 implementation dramatically shortened reporting delays and improved data completeness efforts that underpinned the country’s “Information Revolution.” Many countries have strengthened electronic immunisation registries and e-learning for health managers by adapting mobile training platforms, showing how digital systems and workforce development reinforce each other.

Countries are pursuing national strategies to link electronic medical records and health information exchanges to improve continuity of care and national planning. Across the continent, similar stories are unfolding, all pointing to the growing need for trained professionals who can bridge health and technology.

One striking example is that of Michael Sileshi, an Ethiopian-trained health informatics professional and graduate of Addis Ababa University, whose career demonstrates how local training can drive regional and even global digital health transformation.

Beginning in Ethiopia as health information system coordinator, he helped modernise the country’s health data landscape by leading the customisation and piloting of the Community Health Information System (CHIS) and District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) platforms, an innovation that replaced paper-based reporting with one of the world’s largest national digital health systems serving a population of 120 million.

His success in Ethiopia laid the groundwork for broader regional impact. In Kenya, he collaborated with the Ministry of Health, US CDC, and AFENET to digitise immunisation and disease surveillance tools, enabling health managers to visualise and act on real-time data through interactive dashboards.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted training, he helped pioneer a mobile eLearning platform that reached thousands of health managers, ensuring continuity in capacity building. Building on these experiences, Michael took on a continental role with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), where he worked with over 20 countries to digitise Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) and strengthen data-driven emergency response systems, enhancing global health security.

His leadership reflects a distinctly African model of collaboration, where a professional trained in one country contributes solutions that serve the entire continent. In recognition of his technical excellence and impact, he was selected for the US CDC’s prestigious Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP), underscoring Africa’s growing influence in shaping the global digital health agenda.

Training: The backbone of digital health

Across the continent, institutions such as the Africa CDC and other regional organisations are investing in health informatics capacity. Universities in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, and South Africa, among others, are integrating digital health and data science into their curricula. The goal is clear: build a workforce capable of designing, managing, and improving digital health systems, not just implementing them.

A well-trained health informatics professional in one country can have ripple effects across borders. A data analyst in Dakar might develop vaccine dashboards for Chad; a surveillance officer in Nairobi could help monitor a cholera outbreak in Malawi. These collaborations reflect Africa’s growing regional integration, a continent where data can move as fast as the diseases it tracks.

Africa’s journey toward a fully digital health ecosystem is still unfolding. While infrastructure and funding challenges remain, the foundation is promising: interoperable systems, growing local expertise, and a generation of data-literate professionals driving innovation from within.

Lessons for sustainable digital health

Building sustainable digital health systems in Africa requires more than technology; it demands vision, structure, and accountability. Across his career, Michael has identified three interdependent factors that drive long-term success:

1. Interoperable and scalable technology: Digital platforms must communicate seamlessly across programs and borders. Open standards, modular design, and robust infrastructure enable countries to collect, share, and analyse health data efficiently—supporting timely, evidence-based action.
2. Strong governance and data standards: Clear governance frameworks are essential for sustainability. National policies that define data ownership, accountability, privacy, and quality assurance create trust and ensure systems align with continental and global health priorities.
3. Leadership and strategic investment: Digital transformation flourishes when governments show sustained political commitment and allocate predictable resources. Visionary leadership turns pilot projects into scalable, nationally owned systems that endure beyond donor cycles.

None of these elements can succeed without trained professionals who understand both health and technology. Health informatics experts, those capable of designing, managing, and interpreting digital systems, are the backbone of this transformation. They are the ones who ensure interoperability is achieved, governance is upheld, and investments translate into meaningful health outcomes.

As Michael often puts it, “Health informatics is not just about systems—it’s about people using information to solve real-world problems—faster, smarter, and more equitably.”

The continent’s future health resilience will depend less on imported technologies and more on the capacity of its own professionals to lead the digital transformation. And in that story, the rise of Africa’s health informatics workforce may prove to be one of its most powerful and enduring successes.

The writer is a Public Health Informatics Specialist

MSC, BSC, PMP