WHO Unveils Digital Health Training Program to Boost African Healthcare
Africa, Sunday, 10 August 2025.
WHO’s new digital health training program aims to enhance healthcare across Africa, empowering over 200 professionals with advanced skills through a blend of online and in-person sessions.
Blended Learning Approach for Regional Empowerment
The WHO’s training effort incorporates a blended learning format, offering both online modules and face-to-face training sessions. By accommodating over 200 healthcare professionals from diverse linguistic backgrounds across the African continent, this approach highlights the program’s inclusivity and adaptability. Participants from English-, French-, and Portuguese-speaking nations have already benefited from the initial courses, reflecting the increasing demand for digital health expertise in the region [1].
Strengthening National Digital Health Systems
The Training-of-Trainers (TOT) program, slated for a full launch in August 2025, aims to build a robust network of qualified trainers. By doing so, WHO endeavors to strengthen national and regional capabilities in digital health planning. The program endeavors to ensure pedagogical consistency and technical excellence with facilitators trained by the WHO Academy [1]. This initiative is crucial as Africa grapples with significant healthcare challenges, leading to the urgent need for resilient digital systems [6].
Innovative Tools for Enhanced Healthcare Delivery
The integration of digital health systems offers transformative potential for healthcare outcomes across Africa. Through programs like this, WHO plans to equip healthcare workers with advanced digital tools, thereby improving patient outcomes and addressing public health challenges [5]. This initiative aligns with WHO’s broader strategy to enhance digital technologies within healthcare systems and improve data management and telemedicine services [4].
Future Prospects: Scaling Digital Health Capacities
By utilizing innovative digital solutions, the African continent is positioned at a critical juncture to reshape global health. The WHO predicts a global shortfall of up to 10 million health workers by 2030, particularly in low- and middle-income regions, underlining the significance of this initiative [6]. As regional preparedness improves through initiatives like the DHPNS, the capacity to manage and preempt health crises is expected to grow, driving substantial improvement in healthcare accessibility and quality across Africa [3].