Kenya champions Africa-wide health data hub to boost disease response and data sovereignty

Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stood before health ministers from across Africa in Addis Ababa this week with a straightforward proposal: the continent needs its own system for sharing disease data, one built by Africans and controlled by Africans, rather than relying on foreign platforms and foreign oversight.

Duale made his case during the 76th session of the World Health Organization's Regional Committee for Africa, where ministers from all 47 countries in the WHO African Region had gathered. He argued that a regional health data hub—a centralized platform using common technical standards—could help nations detect disease outbreaks faster, coordinate responses more effectively, and make smarter decisions about where to direct limited health resources. The hub would pull information from hospitals, laboratories, disease surveillance systems, and other sources across the continent, giving governments a clearer picture of emerging health threats in real time.

The timing of the proposal reflects a growing tension in African health policy. Over the past nine months, more than 20 African countries have signed bilateral health agreements with the United States under President Donald Trump's America First Global Health Strategy. Kenya became the first African nation to sign such a deal last year, a move that has since faced legal challenges over concerns about data privacy and the handling of sensitive health information. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have raised alarms about what these agreements mean for African control over health data and biological samples. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace documented that 22 African countries had signed these US agreements within four months starting in late 2025.

Duale framed the data hub as part of a larger vision for African health independence. He called for three concrete pillars: sustainable domestic health financing, local manufacturing of medicines, and digital transformation. "Africa's pursuit of health self-reliance must move beyond declarations," he said, emphasizing that the continent needs to own and trust its own systems. He stressed that any regional hub must have strong governance rules controlling who can access health information and how it can be used—a direct response to the sovereignty concerns raised by the US bilateral agreements.

The WHO has already begun building the infrastructure. The organization has developed a minimum version of the hub and is working to integrate health information from countries across the region. An existing WHO online platform already provides health data and country profiles for all 47 member states, designed to consolidate fragmented information and support analysis and decision-making. The new hub would expand and deepen this capability.

Kenya itself has been moving on digital health infrastructure. The country's Taifa Care programme, operating under the Social Health Authority, has enrolled more than 32 million people. Kenya has also built a digital health system connecting health facilities, claims management, and national health registries, with more than 107,000 community health promoters using digital tools in the field.

At the Addis Ababa meeting, African leaders reinforced the message. Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called for the continent to be defined by "ownership over dependency, integration over fragmentation and practical action over words." Ethiopian Health Minister Mekdes Daba echoed the theme: "If we act in solidarity, invest with purpose, and innovate with equity at the centre, we can build an Africa that is healthier, more resilient, more self-reliant." WHO Regional Director Mohamed Janabi framed the week's decisions as consequential, saying they would shape policies, guide investments, and influence future generations.

The broader conversation in Addis Ababa extends beyond data. African health ministers are also discussing a comprehensive plan called "A New Era of Health for Africa: United Action for Vision 2035," which aims to strengthen primary healthcare, health systems financing, digital health infrastructure, and African ownership of health programmes. The agenda also includes strengthening health worker training and retention, improving medicine regulation, and preparing countries for disease outbreaks. What emerges from this week will signal whether Africa can build health systems that serve African interests first.