Empowering Patients Through Digital Health Information for Public Health in Africa

African countries continue to face many challenges as they strive to ensure that health systems maintain essential health services as they respond to ongoing and emerging health threats. The Africa CDC encourages governments, policymakers, and stakeholders to allocate a larger portion of their national budgets to healthcare initiatives and more so to essential health services. Gravitate Health’s goal of providing easily accessible and understandable health information aligns with the broader objectives of improving public health in Africa. By implementing the Gravitate Lens (G-Lens) and federated open-source platforms and services (FOSPS), African countries can offer their citizens a valuable resource for accessing accurate and reliable health information. This can contribute to health education and awareness, helping individuals make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Many African nations face challenges related to medication safety and pharmacovigilance. Integrating Gravitate-Health’s focus on safer medication use and pharmacovigilance into public health initiatives can reduce adverse drug reactions and improve patient safety. This is especially important in regions where access to healthcare services may be limited, and ensuring the safe use of available medications is crucial. The roundtable session will bring together experts, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and representatives from relevant organizations to engage in a constructive dialogue on these critical topics. The goal is to drive collaboration and generate practical solutions that can contribute to improved public health outcomes in Africa through the empowerment of patients with digital health information. Through engaging panel discussions, the event will seek to bridge the gap between healthcare infrastructure and patient empowerment. This synergy holds the potential to create more robust, informed, and proactive healthcare systems, ultimately improving public health across the continent and addressing pressing health challenges.