Ota Akhigbe, Director of Partnerships and Programs at eHealth Africa, shared reflections from the Africa HealthTech Summit held recently in Toronto. She moderated a roundtable session that ran past its scheduled time, yet most attendees chose to remain. Many expressed a desire to maintain connections formed during the event, urging that the dialogue not end with the session. Akhigbe described this post-program interaction as where the real work begins, citing it as a recurring pattern in her experience across global health forums.
She referenced Seth Cochran, a global health entrepreneur known as "The Fistula Guy," and his gathering model called The Sidebar, which emphasizes informal conversations over main-stage events. Cochran's premise is that the most impactful exchanges happen in corridors, coffee lines, and unplanned moments, often excluding those closest to the problems being addressed. Akhigbe agreed, stating that for Africa's health systems, this dynamic is central to progress.
Akhigbe argued that Africa does not lack innovation, talent, or technical skill. Founders, communities, and implementers across the continent have long developed local solutions. The challenge lies in what comes after successful pilots—sustaining them through financing, government buy-in, procurement systems, interoperability, and local ownership. These elements, she noted, require orchestration beyond technology or policy alone.
She highlighted two recurring themes in informal discussions: access and follow-through. The nurse managing a rural programme or the founder struggling to reach a ministry desk often remains disconnected from decision-makers. Meanwhile, pledged funds sometimes fail to materialize when needed, including during the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Announcements and applause, she stressed, do not equate to functional systems or budgets.
The key takeaway, Akhigbe said, is the need to turn dialogue into lasting partnerships—named, owned, funded, and actively moving forward. The measure of success should not be the quality of conversations but what continues to be built long after the event ends.
Ota Akhigbe champions sustained collaboration while acknowledging that promised funds for Africa's health initiatives often fail to arrive. Her own event drew passionate calls to stay connected, yet those same voices may face silence when seeking ministry desks or disbursal. The gap between urgent appeals and actual support remains widest for those already closest to the frontlines. If follow-through lags behind dialogue, even the most committed networks risk fading when attention shifts.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
