HELINA
Professionalizing Digital Health and Health Informatics in Africa
Who We Are
HELINA stands for HEeaLth INformatics in Africa. We are the Pan African Health Informatics Association and the African regional representation in the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). The mandate is to support African countries towards digital health transformation through professionalizing health informatics, creating knowledge and evidence to inform responsible investments, and effectively implementing digital interventions, services, and applications in health.
Vision
HELINA envisions a future where healthcare systems in Africa are transformed and strengthened by the seamless integration of innovative standards-based digital health solutions. By embedding digital health into every aspect of care, we aspire to improve access, enhance quality, and ensure equity for all, fostering a healthier and more connected continent.
Mission
HELINA's mission is to advance the professionalisation of digital health and health informatics across Africa by promoting standards-based, interoperable systems. We foster excellence by providing a collaborative platform for research, education, and implementation of health informatics solutions. Through capacity building, professional development, and strategic partnerships, we empower members with expertise and resources to establish sustainable, professional digital health practices that meet Africa's unique healthcare needs.
INFORMATICS
How We Work
Leadership & Governance
History
HELINA was founded in 1993, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria following a conference organised by Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Eastern Finland under the auspices of IMIA.
The primary purpose of HELINA is to professionalise Digital Health and Health Informatics in Africa by promoting education and research in health informatics in Africa and the implementation of ethical, modern and evidence based health informatics to enhance access to quality healthcare in Africa. HELINA subscribes fully to the IMIA vision that states “there will be a world-wide systems approach for healthcare”.
Through this, clinicians, researchers, patients and people in general will be supported by informatics tools, processes and behaviours that make it easy to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time to improve healthcare for all. This system’s approach will incorporate and integrate research, clinical care and public health.”
HELINA was originally registered under Malian Law but is currently registered under Ghanaian Law.
1993 - 2012
Sedick Isaacs
2018 - 2021
Dr. Tom Oluoch
2023 - 2026
Mr. Steven Wanyee
2012 - 2018
Dr. Ghislain Kouematchoua
2021 - 2023
Dr. Frances Baaba Da Costa-Vroom