Description

HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-DIGIT-02

Background

Digital health has the potential to reshape and enable the implementation of integrated research and healthcare delivery across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially in communities that are underserved or hard to reach. With tools such as mobile health platforms, electronic health records, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), health services can become more efficient and accessible, responding to the needs of strengthening the research and development settings in SSA. Despite the ongoing rapid advances, SSA countries are still lagging behind, and there is an increasing gap with the developed world where digital innovation and machine learning is expected to deliver significant changes to healthcare. Digital tools currently in use are fragmented, incompatible with each other, and limited in their reach. In addition, the use of AI is creating more opportunities, but there is a need to ensure future technologies are based on models that include data from SSA countries.

Recent strategies, including the WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025), the African Union’s Digital Health Framework, and the Africa CDC’s Digital Transformation Strategy, call for urgent action. These frameworks emphasise the need to invest in people-focused, sustainable digital solutions that are locally informed and globally aligned.

This Coordination and Support Action (CSA) focuses on addressing these disparities. It aims to bring together national governments, regional institutions, researchers, healthcare providers, and private sector partners to better coordinate efforts, share knowledge, and build the infrastructure needed to support inclusive, scalable digital health systems.

By aligning with these strategic directions, this CSA promotes a shared vision: one where digital innovation strengthens local health systems rather than working in silos. The goal is not to create new technologies, but to make better use of what already exists by improving coordination, strengthening human capacity, and supporting evidence-based policies and investments that can unlock the true potential of digital health across the region.

Expected Outcomes

The proposals submitted under this topic should aim to deliver results contributing to at least two of the below:

1. Scaled-up implementation of validated digital innovations at national or sub-regional level.
2. Improved data interoperability and data harmonisation of electronic health records between different digital health systems according to international standards.
3. Integrated comprehensive roadmap for the sustainable and scalable integration of digital health tools into clinical trials and public health systems in SSA, in line with international standards and local ethical standards, and in the context of sharing of best practices.
4. Increased retention of skilled experts in digital health, epidemiology, bioinformatics, AI in SSA.