AI and technology drive China-West Africa healthcare cooperation

The 3rd China-West Africa Medical Summit and Expo has opened in Ghana's capital, Accra, bringing together healthcare professionals, technology companies and industry stakeholders for a three-day event focused on innovation and medical technology.

The summit comes as countries across Africa increasingly turn to digital solutions and artificial intelligence to improve healthcare delivery and address persistent challenges in the sector.

Among the exhibitors is Vincent Zhang, who is using the expo to introduce a range of AI-powered medical devices to the Ghanaian market.

Zhang says one of the devices can monitor a patient's vital signs, with artificial intelligence used to analyse the data.

"This headband is used to monitor a person's main vital signs. The data collected is then analysed using our AI system.”

Connecting hospitals through technology

Other exhibitors are looking beyond individual medical devices, focusing instead on systems that can connect healthcare facilities and improve the sharing of medical information.

Liu Xianbo, Deputy General Manager at Goldisc Healthcare, is showcasing a cloud-based platform designed to connect hospitals and clinics and bring patient records and other medical information onto a single system.

"This software we are introducing in Ghana is called the 123 program. It is one platform that more than 20 hospitals and more than 300 clinics can connect to each other.”

Dozens of Chinese companies are taking part in the expo, exploring opportunities in Ghana and the wider West African market.

From AI-assisted diagnosis to digital medical management systems, exhibitors say the technologies could help healthcare professionals make faster and better-informed decisions.

For Ghanaian health experts, however, the opportunity goes beyond showcasing new technologies.

Moving AI from exhibitions to hospitals

They say deeper China-West Africa cooperation could help move artificial intelligence from the exhibition floor into everyday healthcare, but that will require investment in skills and infrastructure.

“It's crucial that we start implementing that as early as possible because the rate at which artificial intelligence is getting into all aspects of life, not just medicine, is immense,” said Dr Edem Kojo Hadzi, a fertility specialist at Lister Hospital.

“If we don't get involved now, we would be late,” he added.

The push for greater adoption of AI comes as healthcare systems across Africa grapple with shortages of medical personnel, limited resources and growing demand for specialised services.

Experts say building local capacity will be critical to ensuring health workers can effectively develop, adopt and use AI technologies while maintaining appropriate standards of patient care and data protection.

As China and West African countries deepen cooperation in healthcare, exhibitors at the Accra summit are also looking for local partners who can help distribute their technologies across Ghana and the wider region.

The expo highlights a growing ambition to make digital innovation and artificial intelligence a more practical part of Africa's healthcare future.