Fatshimetrie, October 24, 2024 – The digitalization of the health system in the Democratic Republic of Congo was recently at the heart of discussions during an exceptional round table in Kinshasa. This strategic meeting highlighted the importance of mobilizing the necessary resources for the implementation of the digital health enterprise architecture in order to profoundly transform the health sector in the country.
During this event, Jean Thierry Kalombo, the Director General of the National Agency for Clinical Engineering and Digital Health (ANICNS), highlighted the crucial role of his agency in the digital transformation of the Congolese health system. He advocated for close collaboration with the various partners to ensure perfect alignment of actions, effectively mobilize the necessary resources and finalize the digitalization of the health sector.
The challenges facing the digitalization of the health system in the DRC were also discussed during this round table. These include internet connectivity, the availability of continuous power supply, as well as capacity building of health personnel in the field of digital health.
Furthermore, Trad Hatton, the country and regional director of the NGO “Path”, stressed the importance of digitalization to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). He invited the various partners to fully engage in this digitalization process, which represents a long path requiring long-term investment.
Finally, Dr. Polydor Kabila, national coordinator of universal health coverage (UHC), stressed the importance of the commitment of technical partners in the digital health enterprise architecture in the DRC. This round table thus highlighted the need for a constructive dialogue between key actors in the public and private sectors to maximize the impact of investments in digital health infrastructure.
Funded by USAID and organized with the technical support of “Path” through the “Digital Square” initiative, this round table gave new impetus to the digitalization of the health system in the DRC. It was an opportunity to unite the different stakeholders around a common goal and to strengthen the commitment to digital health in the country.
In conclusion, this meeting marks an important step in the process of modernizing the Congolese health system and illustrates the willingness of the actors to work together to ensure a better and more connected future for public health in the Democratic Republic of Congo.