Empowering the Ecosystem

1

Pan African Standards and Interoperability Lab (SIL-Africa)

Strengthening Digital Health Interoperability in Africa

The Africa Standards and Interoperability Lab (SIL-Africa) is a regional initiative led by HELINA and hosted by the HealthTech Hub Africa in Rwanda. It is designed to support the development, testing, and scaling of digital health solutions that meet global and regional standards for interoperability.

SIL-Africa provides a trusted environment for Ministries of Health, innovators, and implementing partners to validate their digital health tools and ensure they can exchange data securely and effectively. By aligning with frameworks like HL7 FHIR, OpenHIE, and IHE profiles, SIL enables digital health systems to work together across countries, platforms, and programs.

What SIL-Africa Offers

Capacity Building
 Structured training programs for startups, implementers, and government teams to strengthen their understanding of digital health standards, data architecture, and certification requirements.

Solution Testing
 A regional sandbox and testing environment where solutions are evaluated against selected standards and real-world use cases, such as maternal and child health data exchange, disease surveillance, and health worker registries.

Community Engagement
 A regional community of practice that connects digital health professionals, governments, and technical partners to promote peer learning, policy alignment, and innovation.

Program Objectives

  • Establish a continental platform for testing and certification of digital health interoperability
  • Promote adoption of open standards including HL7 FHIR, OpenHIE, and IHE
  • Support countries to align national systems with regional and global interoperability frameworks
  • Build technical capacity for sustainable, standards-based digital transformation
  • Create space for collaboration, peer learning, and knowledge exchange across Africa

Program Structure

SIL-Africa is implemented through a hub-and-spoke model. HELINA provides continental leadership, while HealthTech Hub Africa hosts the operational activities. The lab works closely with regional and national actors including Africa CDC, RHIA, Ministries of Health, and digital solution providers.

Desired Impact

  • Better patient outcomes through seamless health data exchange
  • Stronger public health surveillance and emergency response systems
  • Increased trust in digital tools through rigorous, standards-based testing
  • Growth of Africa’s digital health innovation ecosystem
  • A harmonized, people-centered approach to digital health transformation

To learn more about the Pan-African Standards and Interoperability Lab, express interest, or explore partnership opportunities, or join the community of practice, visit www.helina.africa or email programsdirector@helina.africa.

HELINA SIL

2

Digital Health Applied Leadership Project

Building a New Generation of Digital Health Leaders in Africa

HELINA, in partnership with PATH,  leads the regional implementation of the Digital Health Applied Leadership Program (DHALP), anchoring the program within Africa’s health informatics ecosystem. By supporting curriculum localization, coordinating with national informatics associations, and strengthening the community of practice, HELINA ensures that DHALP responds to the real-world needs of African health systems and remains sustainable across countries.

DHALP is an executive learning and coaching initiative designed to equip mid-level health professionals with the skills, confidence, and tools needed to lead digital transformation in health. The program blends applied technical training with systems thinking and leadership development, ensuring that digital health is not only well-designed but also well-led.

Developed by PATH and supported by partners including USAID, PEPFAR, WHO, and Digital Square, DHALP addresses a critical leadership gap that has slowed progress in digital health implementation. In 2025, the program is active in Burkina Faso, Rwanda, and Zambia, engaging over 60 emerging digital health leaders.

Program Objectives

  • Build national capacity to design and lead digital health strategies
  • Strengthen system-level thinking and institutional leadership in health sector
  • Equip participants with practical knowledge in interoperability, standards, and data governance
  • Foster cross-country collaboration, mentorship, and peer learning
  • Embed digital leadership capacity into public sector institutions

     

What DHALP Offers

  1. Digital Health: Planning National Systems course
  2. Applied Learning:  Participants engage in real-world digital health projects that align with their country’s priorities.
  3. Leadership Coaching:  Each participant receives individual coaching to build their leadership skills and drive change.
  4. Peer Learning and Mentorship:  Participants benefit from a dynamic regional network of peers, trainers, and mentors.
  5. Capstone Projects:  Graduates develop and present country-relevant projects that showcase their leadership and innovation.

Learning Outcomes

DHALP graduates leave the program equipped to:

  • Lead digital transformation aligned with national strategies
  • Apply standards for data protection, interoperability, and governance
  • Mobilize multisector partnerships and resources
  • Drive implementation of scalable, sustainable digital health solutions

To learn more about the Digital Health Applied Leadership Programme, express interest, or explore partnership opportunities, or join the community of practice, visit www.helina.africa or email programsdirector@helina.africa.

3

Africa on FHIR

Building a Skilled, Standards-Driven Digital Health Workforce for Africa

Africa on FHIR is a strategic initiative led by HELINA in collaboration with Africa CDC, HL7 International, WHO, and a growing network of African stakeholders. It aims to scale the adoption of HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) by building capacity across the continent. The project responds to the increasing demand for interoperable health systems and supports Africa’s digital health transformation agenda in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa CDC Digital Health Strategy.

The Challenge

Many African countries are investing in digital health solutions, yet struggle with system fragmentation, limited interoperability, and a shortage of professionals who are trained in global health data standards such as HL7 FHIR. Without a strong foundation in FHIR, efforts to improve data sharing across health systems remain inconsistent, creating barriers to quality, efficiency, and coordination of care.

The Vision

Africa on FHIR envisions a continent where health systems speak the same digital language, where developers, health professionals, ministries, and institutions are equipped to implement, use, and advocate for FHIR as a core standard in healthcare. This vision supports HELINA’s broader mission of strengthening digital health capacity, professionalizing health informatics, and promoting evidence-based, standards-driven transformation.

Strategic Objectives

Africa on FHIR focuses on four main objectives:

  • Enhance Technical Skills: Equip ICT professionals and healthcare providers with the technical expertise required to implement and use HL7 FHIR.
  • Raise Awareness: Increase awareness of the benefits and applications of HL7 FHIR among healthcare stakeholders.
  • Advocate for Standards: Support HELINA’s advocacy efforts to promote the use of health information standards.
  • Facilitate Cross-continental Learning: Enable the sharing of knowledge and best practices across Africa to harmonise health information systems.

Core Activities

  • Capacity Needs Assessments
    Country-level and regional assessments are conducted through HELINA member associations to determine FHIR capacity gaps, training preferences, and institutional readiness.
  • Training and Certification
    HELINA, as HL7’s Africa affiliate, provides access to subsidized HL7 FHIR Fundamentals Courses, delivered online by certified instructors. The program includes real-world use cases, practical exercises, and certification opportunities for over 1,000 learners annually.
  • Strategic Partnerships
    HELINA works closely with Africa CDC, WHO AFRO, HL7, Google Health (Open Health Stack), IntelliSOFT, Ona, Jembi, and others to ensure a coordinated, resource-efficient approach that leverages both global expertise and local context.
  • Knowledge Dissemination
    Lessons from FHIR implementation efforts are shared through policy briefs, open-access publications, multilingual webinars, and HELINA’s continental digital health conferences.

Long-Term Impact

  • Increased adoption of HL7 FHIR across African countries
  • A growing pool of certified professionals with practical FHIR skills
  • Improved interoperability between health systems and applications
  • Stronger alignment between policy frameworks and global digital health standards
  • Strengthened regional cooperation for health data governance and digital infrastructure

Join the Movement

Africa on FHIR is not just a project. It is a movement to create a digitally connected, standards-aligned health future for Africa. Whether you are a policymaker, developer, implementer, academic, or funder, there is space for you to contribute.

To learn more about the Africa on FHIR initiative, express interest, or explore partnership opportunities, or join the community of practice, visit www.helina.africa or email programsdirector@helina.africa.

HELINA
HELINA SIL

4

Health Data Governance

Strengthening Trust, Policy, and Practice

HELINA is leading a continent-wide effort to ensure that health data in Africa is governed in a way that is ethical, responsible, and centred on people’s rights.

Through its Health Data Governance (HDG) initiative, HELINA is working with governments, regional bodies, and communities to raise awareness, influence policy, and support practical reforms that balance innovation with protection. The goal is to create a future where health data is managed transparently, used to strengthen health systems, and shared in ways that deliver fair benefits.

Between 2022 and 2025, HELINA, in partnership with Transform Health:

  • Engaged over 15 countries to build regional consensus on HDG priorities and principles
  • Co-developed and tested a model HDG framework in Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda
  • Partnered with Africa CDC and Transform Health to advocate for a unified African approach to HDG at platforms such as African Union and World Health Assembly

This work blends advocacy with technical support, ensuring that policy dialogue is backed by evidence and real-world application. By aligning national action with continental priorities, HELINA is helping shape a pan African digital health future that is secure, inclusive, and locally grounded.

Why Health Data Governance Matters

As African countries expand their use of digital technologies in health, large volumes of personal and public health data are being generated. This includes patient records, lab results, service delivery statistics, and national disease trends. When managed well, this data can transform healthcare delivery, support evidence-based policymaking, and improve health outcomes.

However, without proper governance, health data can also be misused, poorly protected, or applied in ways that deepen inequality. People may lose trust in health systems. Health workers may not have access to the data they need. Policies may be based on incomplete or unreliable information. Private actors may benefit at the expense of public good.

This is why Health Data Governance is essential.

Health Data Governance (HDG) refers to the systems, laws, policies, and practices that determine how health data is collected, stored, accessed, shared, and used. It ensures that health data is handled in ways that protect individuals, promote equity, and support the public interest.

Strong Health Data Governance helps to:

  • Safeguard personal privacy and build trust in digital health systems
  • Ensure that data is available for use in emergencies and routine care
  • Promote fairness by making sure all groups benefit from data use
  • Enable innovation within clear legal and ethical boundaries
  • Support effective decision-making at all levels of the health system

Without strong governance, digital health investments may fall short of their potential or even cause harm.

HELINA’s work in Health Data Governance focuses on helping countries put in place the frameworks they need to manage health data responsibly. By supporting national reforms, encouraging regional alignment, and promoting the adoption of shared principles, HELINA is helping shape a future where data serves the health of everyone, safely and fairly.

To learn more about HELINA’s work in Health Data Governance, express interest, or explore partnership opportunities, or join the community of practice , visit www.helina.africa or email programsdirector@helina.africa.