By Tuwilika Nafuka
One of the most significant events in the healthcare industry, the World Health Summit, took place from October 13-15, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. The summit featured over 380 speakers, including government officials from across the globe, and attracted more than 3,500 participants from 140 countries, making it perhaps the largest gathering yet.
This year’s event was particularly notable, with 51% of the speakers being women, a milestone in a field where women, despite being the majority of healthcare workers, are often underrepresented in leadership. Carsten Schicker, CEO of the World Health Summit, emphasized, “The World Health Summit has become a central platform and inclusive forum where the course is set for the future of global healthcare.”
There were 67 sessions in total, with major discussions divided by continent. Attending virtually, I focused on discussions about the Global South, artificial intelligence (AI), and women’s leadership in healthcare.
Operating under the theme ‘Building Trust for a Healthier World,’ the 2024 World Health Summit placed significant emphasis on the role of digital technologies, women’s leadership, and trust in healthcare systems. It was an eye-opening experience to see how, despite women forming the bulk of the healthcare workforce, they are still overwhelmingly led by men. On average, women earn 28% less than their male counterparts, yet research shows that trust in healthcare systems increases when women are in leadership roles.
A particularly inspiring session on women’s leadership featured influential figures like Dr. Emma Andrews of Pfizer Global Patient Advocacy, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, CEO of Human Capital in Nigeria, and Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin, Executive Director of the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program and former Minister of Health of Ethiopia.
These leaders highlighted the critical need for both men and women in healthcare leadership positions to actively create more space for emerging women leaders. “We need to extend the table to make room for women,” they emphasized. Structured mentorship programs were also discussed as essential tools to cultivate the next generation of female leaders, drawing on examples from the COVID-19 crisis where female-led healthcare systems saw improved outcomes.
One session that stood out focused on the role of AI in healthcare, with an emphasis on the Global South. Dr. Lucy Gilson, a Professor of Health Policy and Systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, gave a sobering assessment of the current state of healthcare digitization in Africa, highlighting the continent’s reliance on traditional, paper-based systems.
Her presentation sparked important discussions on whether AI can be integrated into these systems. As most healthcare systems in African countries are not yet fully digitized, the question arises: Where exactly will AI be embedded? While integration will be challenging, the potential benefits are substantial, including improved diagnostic accuracy, better resource distribution, and enhanced public trust in healthcare.
Dr. Gilson also spoke about the disparity between technological advancements in the Global North and Global South, and the importance of building robust systems in Africa to support the integration of AI. She noted the strides Africa has already made through digital health initiatives like telemedicine, emphasizing that AI has the potential to build on these existing foundations to further transform healthcare delivery across the continent.
As digital technologies continue to revolutionize healthcare at an unprecedented pace, the World Health Summit was a powerful reminder of the work ahead. But it also left me hopeful. The increasing visibility and influence of women in healthcare, coupled with advancements in digital health, point to a future where gender equity and technological innovation drive improved health outcomes globally.
Although the summit has ended, the discussions about digital health are far from over, with further conversations set to continue at the upcoming Digital Health Summit hosted by Transform Health the month.
*Tuwilika Nafuka is an innovative STEM medical professional, social justice advocate, and Digital Health Transformation champion, passionate about leveraging technology to revolutionize healthcare systems
