By Prince Acquah
GNA Special Correspondent, Casablanca
Casablanca, May 07, GNA – The inaugural GITEX Future Health Africa conference held in Casablanca has closed colourfully with a clarion call for Africa to transition from technology consumer to creating and owning it.
The revolutionary three-day event rallied hundreds of global leaders and professionals in health care, scientists, innovators, startups, investors, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders to transform African’s healthcare system, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital technologies.
The conference was organised by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Sciences and Health (FM6SS), the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Morocco, and KOAUN International under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco.
The event featured several conferences, workshops, and exhibitions and witnessed the signing of several pacts, all geared towards creating a digital and futuristic, yet human-centred health system for Morocco and Africa.
Delivering her closing remarks, Madam Trixie LohMirmand, the Executive Vice President and CEO of KAOU International, entreated Africa to take a commanding role in the digital transformation to innovate and become a world power.
“So, this space is no longer reserved for the advanced economies because you have the talent, you have the commitment of government and you have the conviction, decisiveness and clarity that is going to move Morocco and Africa into the new realm of technology creation, not just consumption.
“Consuming technology makes you a market, creating technology will make you a power and Morocco and the region has every right to be the next power in the New World Order,” she emphasised.
Madam LohMirmand expressed excitement with the success of the conference, commending all patrons and urging a scale in the momentum to expedite the revolution building on the foundation established by the event.
She announced that the next edition of the event had been scheduled for September next year with a focus of manufacturing, logistics, bioscience, longevity, orthodontics, implantology, ophthalmology, and diagnostics among others.
Prof Bassma Jioudi, the Vice-President of Engineering, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health (UM6SS), in the spirit of health sovereignty, reiterated the need for Africa to invent home-made technologies tailored to its needs.
“Africa can no longer limit itself to adopting solutions designed elsewhere. It must become a territory for designing, experimenting and producing technological innovations adapted to its priorities,” she stressed.
She indicated that 180 scientific papers were presented at the conference out of which 33 per cent were accepted.
She was hopeful of a positive transformation across the continent, judging from the success rate and level of interest demonstrated by participants.
The closing ceremony witnessed the signing of two pacts to strengthen research cooperation, facilitate capacity building for health professionals and enhance access to screening services.
Special awards were presented for the best scientific articles with Manal Chakour of the Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health emerging the overall winner.
The second and third awards went to Christian Brosseau of the University of Brest and Abderrahim Ait Wakrime of the Mohammed V University respectively.
Blink Pharma, a Moroccan startup was adjudged the best startup for transformation in health care in the Supernova Challenge, taking home 10,000 dollars as prize money.
Meanwhile some participants who spoke with the Ghana News Agency expressed excitement about the programme and commended the organisers for the vision to lead digital transformation in health care in Africa.
Mr Ali Aldoori, a biomedical sales engineer with the Ing Sumetzberger GMBH, a technology company, indicated that it was a great platform to market their pneumatic tube systems developed especially for the health care sector.
The next edition is set to happen from Tuesday, September 28 to Wednesday, September 29, 2027, the organisers announced.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Prince Acquah
[email protected]