Why National eHealth Strategies Matter - An Exploratory Study of eHealth Strategies of African Countries: 2020 International Conference on Electrical and Electronics Engineering (ICE3)

Abstract

National eHealth strategies have been with us for at least two decades. A majority of World Health Organization-member states have enacted eHealth strategies or policies. This study explores the national eHealth strategies of African countries and highlights examples of successful eHealth programmes. The objective is to demonstrate the importance of health IT strategies in the deployment of eHealth initiatives, including their significance in an evolving technology paradigm being shaped by Industry 4.0 technologies. The study observes that national eHealth strategies are not only instrumental in the establishment of a coherent approach to the deployment of digital health technologies but also anchor effective implementation, justify investments, and spur innovation in health informatics. Finally, important questions are raised about national strategies in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era.