ICPHC 2025: eHealth Africa Calls for Sustainability of Emergency Operation Centers, Renewable Energy Integration and Digital Innovation in Primary Health Care

For Immediate Release

[ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia] October 17, 2025

eHealth Africa (eHA) joined global health leaders, policymakers, and partners at the International Conference on Primary Health Care (ICPHC 2025) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to drive conversations on digital transformation, public health infrastructure sustainability, renewable energy for better healthcare delivery and health system resilience across Africa. Themed “Advancing Primary Health Care in the 21st Century: Putting People First,” the event brought together thought leaders and innovators committed to strengthening primary health care and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Speaking on eHealth Africa’s participation, Atef Fawaz, Executive Director of eHealth Africa, emphasized the theme of this year’s ICPHC strongly aligns with our mission of building human-centered solutions to advance primary healthcare in underserved communities. “At eHealth Africa, we believe technology and data should serve people,” Atef said. “This is the rationale behind the interventions like establishment of emergency operation centers, renewable energy for primary healthcare, climate resilient digital solutions and smart tools for vaccination campaigns, which were all presented to partners at the ICPHC”. 

Highlighting the importance of sustainability and local ownership especially for the public health emergency operation centers across Africa, Kazeem Balogun, Deputy Director, supply chain management  said,  “We must see Emergency Operation Centers not just as polio infrastructure, but as integrated public health command centers,” Kazeem noted this during the panel discussion to present findings from its Cross-Country Impact Study of Polio Outbreak Control Rooms (POCRs) in Sub-Saharan Africa. He said  “Our goal is to build systems governments can sustain  not donor-driven facilities, but national assets embedded within primary health care structures.”

Sharing the overview of the establishment of Emergency Operation Centers that kicked off from Nigeria to over 24 African countries, Anthony Edozieuno, Program Manager for Public Health Emergency Management, said, what began in Nigeria has evolved into a multi-country model that strengthens emergency coordination across Africa. This according to him is a true testament to shared learning and partnership.

The panel discussion which was preceded by a roundtable provided opportunity for partners to share success stories and how establishment of these Public Health Emergency Operation Centers have impacts on preparedness and response. During the  roundtable session at the ICPHC, eHealth Africa also hosted two roundtable sessions, sharing its human-centered digital solutions.

Temitayo Tella-Lah, Program Manager Climate Adaptation in Health, Food Security and Nutrition showcased eHealth Africa’s Climate Health Vulnerability Assessment Tool (CHAT); a digital platform helping governments, stakeholders and primary healthcare facilities to assess vulnerabilities to climate change. “CHAT helps decision-makers move from awareness to action,” Temitayo highlighted. “It enables countries to identify risks, design climate-resilient health interventions, and protect communities before crises occur.” Developed to strengthen evidence-based climate adaptation planning at the national and subnational level, CHAT represents a practical step toward integrating climate intelligence into health system decision-making and advancing climate-resilient primary healthcare delivery.

Similarly, Abubakar Shehu, Program Manager for Disease Prevention and Monitoring, showcased eHealth Africa’s PlanFeld solution; a digital microplanning solution transforming vaccination logistics. “With Planfeld, we’ve cut microplanning time from five days to just ten minutes,” Shehu explained. “It ensures equitable workload distribution, reduces missed settlements, and helps governments make faster, smarter vaccination decisions.”

Concluding eHealth Africa’s presentations at ICPHC 2025, Toju Ogele, Project Manager, called for renewable energy scale-up in primary health care facilities. 

According to Toju, eHealth Africa with the support from GAVI/UNICEF has solarized over 100 Primary Healthcare facilities leading to a surge in patients accessing the healthcare facilities. “In just 1 PHC, we have seen a surge in patients from 1,300 patients to over 3,000 patients accessing the Health facilities while night deliveries are no longer a problem”. Transitioning to renewable energy has no doubt also ensured vaccines stay potent, surgeries stay safe, and communities stay healthy.

Through its participation at ICPHC 2025, eHealth Africa continues to  reinforce its leadership in advancing digital innovation, sustainable energy, and data-driven health systems across Africa. By working with governments and partners, eHA continues to strengthen primary health care and build resilient communities for a healthier future.

About eHealth Africa

eHealth Africa (eHA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening health systems across Africa through the design and implementation of data-driven solutions. Over the past 15 years, eHealth Africa has developed a robust tech and operational platform specifically designed to address public health challenges. By opening its platforms for collaboration, eHA accelerates innovation adoption and impact. The organization’s work spans 24 African countries, including Chad, Liberia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe. For more information, visit www.ehealthafrica.org.

Media Contact:
Favour Oriaku
Communications Manager, eHealth Africa
  Favour.oriaku@ehealthafrica.org