Rebuilding Africa’s healthcare systems, one practical solution at a time
7 min read
Africa’s premier healthcare event, WHX Cape Town (formerly Africa Health) returns from 2-4 September at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). With more than 8 000 attendees, 600+ exhibitors and speakers from 60+ countries, WHX Cape Town and WHX Labs will showcase the most urgent and promising changes reimagining African healthcare.
This year’s agenda includes early diagnostics, community health access, sustainable funding, public-private partnerships, medtech innovation, culturally relevant health outreach, and data-driven decision-making. Key voices such as Prof. Salome Maswime, Dr Godfrey Chatora, Dr Paul Chilwesa and Prof. Edward Kunonga will unpack how Africa can move from patchwork fixes to stronger, more coordinated healthcare systems.
Health systems are under pressure but there is a way forward
The event’s timing is important – healthcare is in flux. Globally, systems are contending with ageing populations, the rise of non-communicable diseases and growing demand for healthcare that’s more personalised, preventative and connected[1][2]. In parallel, AI, digital diagnostics and decentralised platforms are opening new pathways, promising smarter medicine and increasingly equitable access to care[3][4].
On the African continent, these changes are playing out against a complex backdrop of underfunded systems, deep health workforce shortages and the persistent structural drivers of inequity[5]. And yet, solutions are emerging from within the continent itself and WHX Cape Town is where these are being shared, scaled, and shaped into action.
“A lot of lives are lost due to preventable diseases,” says Prof. Salome Maswime, a prominent South African clinician-scientist, academic leader and global health advocate and speaker at WHX Cape Town. “People often only seek help once symptoms are severe. Health education comes too late.”
Her message is simple: focus on prevention. Encourage people to act earlier through better education, community outreach, and co-designed screening campaigns. “We need to encourage people to take their health and wellness more seriously,” she says.
For Dr Paul Chilwesa,a radiation oncologist and health leader, advocating for expanding equitable cancer care on the continent, the key shift is this: design healthcare around the people who use it.
“One of the most transformative developments is the move towards integrated, person-centred care,” he says. He believes that to make this sustainable, systems must be built to last with reliable infrastructure, data-sharing between sectors, and communities involved from the start.
“When solutions are designed with the people they serve, behaviour changes. Systems strengthen,” he says.
Technology must work for the frontline, not just the boardroom
Dr Godfrey Chatora, a Zimbabwean radiologist and WHX speaker, says tech is opening new doors. “Portable imaging, telehealth and cloud-based reporting are reducing barriers to care,” he explains. “For the impact to last, these tools must be affordable and supported by proper training.”
Innovation, in his view, should be practical. It must meet people where they are, work offline when needed, and come with support and hardware.
Across all three speakers, one idea stands out: healthcare isn’t just about medicine. It’s about access, agency, and trust.
“When people trust the system, they are more likely to take action early,” says Chatora. Maswime agrees. She says the future lies in community-based care and in services that are visible, local, and supported by credible public voices. “We need to build reliable clinics, strong referral networks, and deliver care in everyday spaces like schools and churches.”
According to Chilwesa, better healthcare doesn’t just improve lives. It boosts productivity, supports education, and builds long-term resilience. “Health and development go hand in hand,” he says.
True innovation isn’t just about new tools,” saysProf. Edward Kunonga, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing at NEOM Authority. “It’s about consistently applying what we know works, like balanced nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and early detection, while using personalised medicine and mobile diagnostics to make those interventions more precise, proactive and equitable.”
Local voices, local data, local policy
Maswime warns that health systems often rely too much on outside priorities. “Research should inform the decisions policymakers use to design policies,” she says. “If a country doesn’t have a cervical cancer policy, detection rates will stay low. People will die from something we know how to prevent.”
Public-private partnerships are growing, but Chilwesa notes they must be built on trust and evidence. “Collaboration works best when there’s shared data, shared accountability, and clear outcomes.”
One of WHX Cape Town’s most timely themes is health system resilience.
Chatora says countries that decentralised power during the pandemic, giving more autonomy to regional clinics and investing in frontline workers, emerged stronger. “Top-down responses often broke down. Local leadership made the difference.”
AI-enabled diagnostics, digital pathology, and remote monitoring are here to stay. But Maswime and Chatora agree that without policy, training, and affordability, these tools won’t reach the people who need them most.
“It’s not just about the technology,” says Chatora. “It’s about the system that surrounds it.”
WHX Cape Town is where these changes come together
WHX Cape Town and WHX Labs are where health systems, people and policy connect.
The 2025 event will feature:
- 20+ CPD-accredited conferences
- 600+ global exhibitors
- Live product demos, partnership forums, and hosted buyer zones
From hospital procurement teams to lab specialists and health ministries, the event is where Africa’s most urgent health challenges are met with scalable, context-aware solutions.
To learn more or register, visit: https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/events/healthcare/capetown/en/home.html
,[1] https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WHA-HLM-Policy-Brief_Digital.pdf
