Africa needs futuristic, resilient health system-Expert

A visiting Professor at the Global Public Health University (GPHU), Claire Nelson, has emphasised the urgency for Africa to build a resilient health system for the future.

Nelson, a Jamaican, made this known at the inauguration of the GPHU “Faculty for the Future” to Advance Africa’s Health Agenda 2063 in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that GPHU, an offshoot of LiveWell Initiative (LWI), is designed to align health education and innovation with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

She said Africa must rethink its healthcare and centre its development in the sector on people, culture, community rather than modelling it on foreign framework.

Nelson also emphasised on the untapped potential of traditional African medicine, urging universities and research institutions to validate and integrate indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream healthcare.

“Africa has a youthful population with 70 per cent under the age of 30 , it is urgent to prepare for a health future that is inclusive, digital, and designed for resilience.

“We have to stop thinking that the future is something happening to us. It’s something we must co-create.

“Nations in Africa should work towards a strategic foresight and future literacy in shaping the public health systems.

“An integrated approach that sees healthcare not merely as a clinical issue but as part of a broader ecological, economic and cultural ecosystem should be initiated,” the expert said.

She, however, cautioned that technological advances such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, personalised medicine, and blockchain which offered enormous potential also posed ethical, social, and regulatory risks.

Nelson, who is the Founder of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, charged African nations to develop strong legal and institutional safeguards to avoid future exploitation and dependency.

She urged Nigerians and Africa at large to take advantage of the GPHU as a space where students and faculty could explore decentralised care models, tech-enabled diagnostics, and forward-thinking curricula.

Speaking earlier, Dr Bisi Bright, the Chief Executive Officer of LiveWell Initiative and Provost of GPHU, described the unveiling of the Faculty for the Future as a defining moment in the university’s journey.

Bright traced GPHU’s foundation to the Global Health Mini-University, formerly hosted by George Washington University and USAID, inspiring LWI to develop a homegrown alternative after the project ended.

“We have evolved from an academy into a full university,” she said. “This faculty will drive forward our vision of future-proof education and public health leadership in Africa,” she said.

According to her, GPHU has trained postgraduate diploma candidates and international students and continues to expand its influence through specialised programmes such as the Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Awards.

She reiterated GPHU’s commitment to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and value-based care while urging Nigerians to upskill in emerging technologies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Also, Ituah Ighodalo, Pastor and the Founder of Trinity House Church, in Lagos, in his goodwill message, urged Africa leaders to adopt intentional thinking and long-term planning.

Ighodalo noted that the worst thing a person could do was to be unprepared for the future.

Source: NAN