Abstract:
National eHealth strategies have been with us
for at least two decades. A majority of World Health
Organization-member states have enacted eHealth strategies
or policies. This study explores the national eHealth strategies
of African countries and highlights examples of successful
eHealth programmes. The objective is to demonstrate the
importance of health IT strategies in the deployment of
eHealth initiatives, including their significance in an evolving
technology paradigm being shaped by Industry 4.0
technologies. The study observes that national eHealth
strategies are not only instrumental in the establishment of a
coherent approach to the deployment of digital health
technologies but also anchor effective implementation, justify
investments, and spur innovation in health informatics.
Finally, important questions are raised about national
strategies in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era.
