Hard-to-reach communities, especially those in flood-prone, arid, or disaster-affected areas, face higher disease exposure, yet health interventions like vaccination campaigns often struggle to reach them. Decision-makers also contend with fragmented data systems, limited visibility, and inefficient resource allocation, challenges compounded by urbanization, migration, and climate change.
Similarly, despite advances in public health systems, decision-makers frequently face challenges such as limited visibility into population-level data, inefficient resource allocation, and fragmented information systems that hinder targeted interventions. These challenges are further compounded by rapid urbanization, migration, and the growing impacts of climate change on health service delivery.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have emerged as a powerful solution, enabling governments, NGOs, and development partners to map communities, track service coverage, and integrate real-time data. By revealing patterns of exclusion and guiding equitable health planning, GIS empowers targeted interventions and effective monitoring of impact.
The 37th edition of Insights Webinar, “Driving Health Equity with Geographic Information Systems,” brings together experts and innovators to explore how GIS can transform our approach to health disparities, advancing a future where location no longer limits access to care.
Join us for this important session and discover how you can leverage GIS to create more equitable health outcomes in your community.
Tijesu Ojumu – Communications Coordinator, eHealth Africa
Panelists;
Kazeem Balogun – Deputy Director, Supply Chain Management, eHealth Africa
Onochie Mokwunye – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist, Cloneshouse
Princess Lynettie Kayeye – GPEI Coordinator-Zambia, Ministry of Health
Summary
The 36th episode of the Insights Webinar Series, hosted by eHealth Africa (eHA), explored a vital theme in public health resilience; “Sustaining Public Health Emergency Operation Centers (PHEOCs) in Africa.” The discussion examined how PHEOCs have evolved from coordinating polio eradication efforts to serving as command hubs for broader disease surveillance, response, and health system strengthening across the continent.
Opening the session, Kazeem Balogun traced the origins of Nigeria’s first Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to 2012, explaining that it was born out of the need for a centralized, data-driven, and coordinated response to outbreaks. “Before the EOCs, outbreak responses were fragmented and slow,” he said. “The EOC model changed that bringing all partners, data, and decision-makers under one roof.” He highlighted that this approach was pivotal to Nigeria’s wild poliovirus-free certification and has since become integral to managing other outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19.
From Zambia, Princess Lynettie Kayeye shared her country’s experience, emphasizing the role of strong government leadership, multi-sectoral coordination, and community engagement in sustaining PHEOCs. “When there’s no government commitment, programs struggle,” she noted, adding that Zambia’s decentralized EOCs have improved preparedness, rapid response, and data sharing at national and subnational levels. She also stressed that capacity building and local empowerment have ensured that skills gained during polio response are now being applied to other public health priorities.
Speaking from an evaluation perspective, Onochie Mokwunye discussed insights from multi-country assessments of PHEOCs across Africa. He noted that the centers have strengthened integrated surveillance, data culture, and evidence-based decision-making, while also producing a trained workforce that supported Nigeria’s COVID-19 response. “PHEOCs help countries move from reactive outbreak management to proactive preparedness,” he said, underscoring the need for interoperable data systems, sustainable domestic financing, and continuous workforce development.
Panelists collectively emphasized that sustaining PHEOCs requires government ownership, renewable energy integration, digital innovation, and public–private partnerships to bridge infrastructure gaps, particularly at subnational levels. They also called for greater data interoperability across ministries and borders, and for policy reforms that institutionalize PHEOCs within national health frameworks.
Closing the session, Princess Kayeye reaffirmed that EOCs have become game changers for public health coordination across Africa, while Kazeem Balogun stressed that “EOC models are a worthy investment in global health security.” The conversation ended with a unified call for sustainability, local ownership, and resilience, ensuring that Africa’s PHEOCs remain functional, innovative, and ready for the next health emergency.
The 34th edition of the Insights Webinar, hosted by eHealth Africa, underscored a central and urgent theme: shifting from an over-reliance on external funding to a model of sustainable, locally-driven investment in digital health. The discussion was a bold step toward pushing the conversation forward on why homegrown financing and ownership are crucial for the long-term success and resilience of Nigeria’s health systems.
Panelists were in strong agreement that digital health has for too long been treated as an external project or buzzword, a model that is not sustainable. As one panelist noted, a major reason for this is that most digital health projects were historically introduced to Nigeria through external funding. However, the time has come to treat digital health as an integral part of the country’s health system and a national responsibility.
The webinar emphasized that local investment goes far beyond financial allocation. It is a “holistic commitment” that involves investing in local talent, creating roles for data stewards and product managers, and building a sustainable infrastructure with strong data standards and legal frameworks. Panelists provided tangible examples of this, such as states transitioning from donor-hosted infrastructure to government-managed servers, signaling a move towards self-reliance.
Additionally, the discussion explored why a higher percentage of investment still comes from external sources, citing factors such as constrained fiscal space, competing priorities, and unreliable local markets. Despite these challenges, there is a clear vision for the future: a shift in mindset where innovation, leadership, and accountability are prioritized to drive sustainable change. The panelists encouraged young innovators to focus their problem-solving skills on the health sector, with one stating, “Cooperation is the new innovation.”
Praise Agbe – Climate and Health Lead, Pathfinder International.
Summary
The 33rd episode of the Insights Webinar Series, hosted by eHealth Africa, focused on the timely theme: “Creating Eco-Friendly and Climate-Resilient Healthcare Systems.” The session brought together experts to explore practical solutions for strengthening healthcare delivery in the face of climate change.
The webinar opened with a powerful message from Dr. David Akpan, who framed climate change as a public health emergency. He stressed that beyond infrastructure, climate resilience must be embedded in how health systems function, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive policies, capacity building, and coordinated action across all levels of governance.
Building on this, Program Manager, Climate Change Adaptation in Health Food Security and Nutrition at eHealth Africa, Temitayo Tella-Lah emphasized the need for climate-resilient health infrastructure. She provided practical examples such as flood-resistant facilities and rainwater harvesting systems, which ensure continuity of care during extreme weather events. A key highlight of her presentation was the CHAT tool;a mobile, open-source application hosted on the DHIS2 store. “A problem known is a problem half solved,” she noted, explaining how CHaT empowers health facilities to self-assess vulnerabilities, improve emergency preparedness, and even serve as community shelters or command posts during crises.
Adding a community-level perspective, Climate and Health Lead at Pathfinder International, Praise Agbe spoke on addressing the knowledge gaps among health workers. She stressed the value of continuous capacity building and collaboration with local stakeholders to strengthen frontline responses. In vulnerable settings like Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, she advocated for simple but impactful eco-friendly practices such as waste recycling, tree planting, and reuse initiatives that both protect health and create economic opportunities. “It all starts from the mind,” she remarked.
In his own contribution, CEO , Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC) Bankole Oloruntoba emphasized that climate-smart healthcare is not a siloed effort saying it demands cross-sector collaboration, local innovation, and sustainable financing to drive long-term change.
The session offered a holistic view of how climate change intersects with public health, outlining clear strategies for resilience at the facility, policy, and community levels. With tools like CHaT, stronger health worker training, and green infrastructure, stakeholders can build systems that not only withstand climate shocks but actively support healthier, more sustainable communities.
Empowering Healthcare Workers for Better Public Health Systems
In the latest Insights Webinar hosted by eHealth Africa, public health leaders convened to address a critical global priority: strengthening the frontline health workforce. The session emphasized the increasing strain on health systems in low- and middle-income countries and the essential role of well-supported healthcare workers in building resilient systems.
The discussion began with an overview of pressing challenges. Panelists highlighted severe workforce shortages, particularly in underserved regions, and noted that doctor-to-patient ratios in many countries fall far below WHO recommendations. They pointed to rising levels of burnout and mental health strain among health workers, an issue intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing demands of aging populations.
Panelists also discussed persistent urban-rural disparities, where healthcare professionals remain concentrated in cities, leaving rural communities underserved. Additionally, while technology adoption has accelerated, many regions still lack equitable access to digital tools and the training needed to use them effectively.
The conversation moved from identifying problems to proposing solutions, with an emphasis on investing in people-centered, data-informed strategies. Panelists urged stronger systems that empower health workers at every level, not just as service providers but as critical agents of sustainable change.
Moderator:
Tijesu Ojumu – Communications Coordinator, eHealth Africa
Panelists
Dr Abdurrahman Ali – Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Kano state branch
Dr. Eno Attah – Executive Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency
Dr Ibrahim Aliyu Umar – The Director, Public Health & Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Kano
African health systems are not just recipients of technological interventions; they are fertile grounds for innovation, driven by local expertise and leadership. This central theme drove the 31st edition of the Insights Webinar. The discussion that focused on Leaders Driving Digital Transformation of African Health Systems emphasized the need to institutionalize digital transformation and consistently elevate stories of African leaders driving change through technology, rather than solely focusing on the challenges within the health sector.
Panelists underscored the urgent need to address the fragmented nature of African health systems and the systemic barriers hindering effective healthcare delivery. More than just identifying problems, the focus shifted to implementing concrete digital measures that foster improved health outcomes.
Also who are drawn from across Africa and other parts of the world emphasized that accelerating action requires providing African institutions with access to appropriate technologies. This, according to them, will foster digital leadership, and empower local stakeholders in decision-making processes, alongside embedding user-centered and context-aware digital health practices into their systems.
Despite the existing infrastructural limitations and digital divides, panelists stressed that true digital health equity demands strategic policy frameworks, regulatory adaptations, and systemic reforms tailored to the African context. A continent-wide, collaborative approach is essential.
As one panelist noted, for too long, discussions around health innovation in Africa have been dominated by external actors, this must change. A multi-faceted, systemic approach, driven by African leadership, is critical, and the time for decisive action is now.
Governments play a pivotal role in shaping policies and legal frameworks that enable digital transformation, particularly in ensuring effective implementation and domestication of digital health strategies. While initial steps have been taken, greater public and private sector collaboration is needed to foster an enabling environment. Panelists called for strong policy advocacy to ensure these policies translate into tangible improvements in healthcare access and quality.
Additionally, panelists recommended capacity building initiatives focused on digital health expertise and the showcasing of successful African digital health leadership models. Highlighting the achievements of African innovators and institutions can serve as a powerful catalyst for changing the narrative and accelerating digital transformation across all aspects of the continent’s health systems.
Panelists:
Dr. Jennifer Batamuliza – Head of Data Driven Incubation at the Africa Center of Excellence in Data Science
Abdulhamid Yahaya – DeputyDirector of Global Health Informatics at eHealth Africa
Megan Kill – Senior Manager, Implementation and Capacity Building at Bao Systems
Dr. Niyi Osamiluyi – CEO of Premier Health Consult and converner of the Africa Digital Health Summit
As the 2030 Immunization Target rapidly approaches, the urgency to extend outreach services to underserved areas has never been more pressing. Reaching children who have missed vaccines and ensuring broader access to immunization are critical steps in preventing outbreaks and safeguarding public health. In light of these challenges, the 28th episode of the Insights Webinar explored strategies for closing immunization gaps and increasing vaccine acceptance, particularly in developing countries.
The discussion centered on the feasibility of meeting the immunization targets in the face of current challenges. Despite these realities, panelists expressed optimism, emphasizing that both conventional and innovative strategies are essential for expanding vaccine access, improving outreach efforts, and building greater community trust in immunization programs.
Panelists also stressed the importance of ensuring that technology remains a foundational strategy for vaccine delivery, storage, and administration. According to the panelists, this approach will enable more accurate data, leading to improved decision-making. The deployment of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) emerged as a key tool for ensuring that every community is reached with vaccines, further contributing to the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases. The GIS tool is also crucial in tracking vaccinators across various communities.
Furthermore, the panelists highlighted the need for creative, community-based solutions and underscored the importance of building awareness and trust in vaccines as part of a broader effort to meet global immunization goals by 2030. To enhance trust and confidence in vaccines, they emphasized the need to educate parents through the right communication channels, such as traditional institutions, while sharing compelling stories about the importance of vaccination.
Insights 28 panelists
Panelists:
Muhammed Faosy-Adeniran, Project Manager, Vaccine Direct Delivery, eHealth Africa
Dr. Shaikh Kabir, UNICEF Immunization Manager, Nigeria
Dr. Peace Pever Torkwase, Coordinator, IPC at EHA Clinic
Moderator: Tijesu Ojumu, Communications Coordinator, eHealth Africa
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