THE STATE OF DIGITAL HEALTH READINESS IN THE AFRICA HEALTH WORKFORCE REPORT

Abstract

This report is the first comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of digital health readiness among health workers across Sub-Saharan Africa. Published by InnovateHealth Africa in 2026, the report draws on two evidence streams: system-level data from the Global Digital Health Monitor (GDHM) Workforce domain indicators, WHO National Health Workforce Accounts, WHO SCORE assessments, ITU and GSMA connectivity indices, and national digital health strategy documents; and workforce-level evidence from peer-reviewed literature, programme evaluations, and grey literature spanning 48 countries and the period 2015 - 2026. The report examines the structural enabling conditions for digital health workforce readiness across four pillars — pre-service training integration, in-service training systems, specialist workforce pipeline, and public sector career pathway architecture — and synthesises the available empirical evidence on how health workers across the region are engaging with digital health in practice. It identifies the structural and systemic drivers of the readiness gap and sets out specific, actor-targeted recommendations for national governments, health professional training institutions, regional health bodies, donors, and implementing partners. The 2028 edition will incorporate an original, multi-country, cadre-disaggregated primary survey. This edition establishes the baseline against which that progress will be measured.