Building an artificial intelligence-enabled telehealth future for South Africa
South Africa's digital innovation push in healthcare is hindered by fragmented telehealth and a lack of a dedicated AI strategy. Despite COVID-19 exposing vulnerabilities and global advancements, regulatory ambiguity stifles progress. The country urgently needs a national AI-in-healthcare roadmap and a centralised digital health authority to harmonise regulations and fully leverage technology for equitable, efficient healthcare delivery, especially with NHI preparations underway.
As South Africa seeks to position itself at the forefront of digital innovation, the urgency of reform is nowhere more visible than in the healthcare sector. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in our health systems, but it also created a powerful opportunity to reimagine service delivery through telehealth and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Click here to access the article.