Telemedicine, Digital Health Dominate Discussions at World Health Expo Lagos

Telemedicine and digital healthcare solutions took centre stage on Wednesday at the World Health Expo (WHX) Lagos as healthcare leaders, policymakers and technology experts called for stronger partnerships and investments to transform healthcare delivery across Nigeria. Discussions at the Hospital Investment and Buyer Leadership Forum, held on the second day of the exhibition, focused largely […]

Telemedicine and digital healthcare solutions took centre stage on Wednesday at the World Health Expo (WHX) Lagos as healthcare leaders, policymakers and technology experts called for stronger partnerships and investments to transform healthcare delivery across Nigeria.

Discussions at the Hospital Investment and Buyer Leadership Forum, held on the second day of the exhibition, focused largely on how technology, innovation and collaboration can improve access to healthcare services, reduce inefficiencies and strengthen clinical outcomes.

The forum, themed “Transforming Healthcare Delivery Through Collaborative Innovation: Leveraging Partnerships, Investment, and Technology to Enhance Clinical Outcomes and Healthcare Efficiency,” attracted hospital executives, healthcare investors, innovators and policymakers from across the sector.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Doctors Medical Aid Foundation, Dr Hameed Adeniran, said healthcare transformation in Nigeria would depend largely on partnerships and innovation.

“For me, it is about establishing partnerships and technology and innovation as a way to transform the Nigerian healthcare system,” Adeniran said.

He described the gathering as an important platform bringing together experts from public and private sectors to discuss practical solutions for improving healthcare delivery.

According to him, while digital transformation in healthcare may have been slow, stakeholders must now focus on implementation.

“There has been a lot of call to action and I believe if we are able to implement them, the Nigerian health sector will be much better for it,” he said.

Adeniran identified unequal digital exposure and weak infrastructure as major obstacles slowing healthcare digitisation across Nigeria.

“Power is still a challenge and without this, there is a limit to how much you can sustainably provide these services,” he added.

Also speaking, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, said stronger collaboration was necessary to ensure technology investments translate into better healthcare outcomes.

According to him, introducing technology without proper coordination could create fragmented systems that fail to deliver value.

“You need that partnership, that collaboration so that everybody works together for the good of the people,” Idris said.

Speaking on Nigeria’s dependence on treatment abroad, he said the country must build stronger healthcare foundations and create an enabling environment that attracts investments.

“We need to build that ecosystem properly. We need to have those foundations for it,” he said.

On disease surveillance, Idris argued that the country already possesses several digital systems but lacks adequate integration.

“The platform we use in NCDC is different from the platform they use for tuberculosis and different from what hospitals use. If they are not integrated, it becomes a waste of time and a waste of money,” he added.

Telemedicine emerged as one of the dominant themes during the panel discussions, with speakers arguing that digital health solutions could significantly expand access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved communities.

Chief Executive Officer of Mobihealth International, Dr Funmi Adewara, said telemedicine hubs equipped with solar power, satellite connectivity and trained operators have already demonstrated practical solutions for expanding healthcare access.

“Patients can just walk into a telemedicine hub and immediately get connected to a doctor,” she said.

Adewara disclosed that such models had already been deployed in several communities and are currently being piloted across primary healthcare centres within the Federal Capital Territory.

She, however, argued that telemedicine must move beyond isolated pilot projects.

“Telemedicine should stop operating in silos. It needs to be integrated into the national health programme so that there is no out-of-pocket payment,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer of Eight Medical, Dr Ibukun Tunde-Oni, said the future of healthcare lies in combining virtual care with traditional healthcare systems.

“The future of healthcare is not digital or traditional healthcare centres. It is actually a hybrid of virtual care and traditional healthcare centres where patients can transition seamlessly,” he said.

The World Health Expo brought together more than 8,000 healthcare professionals, over 500 exhibitors and more than 30 global speakers, with discussions largely centred on improving healthcare access, strengthening healthcare infrastructure and expanding technology-driven care solutions across Africa.