COVID-19: revamping Africa’s telecoms infrastructure crucial for digital health services

Abstract

Africa’s telecoms infrastructure services need to be revamped if the continent is to effectively deliver digital health services, a new paper from the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) notes. Produced in light of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the paper notes how the unprecedented crisis has demonstrated across the world the vital role of digital technologies in fighting such health epidemics, in particular accelerating the digitalization of many businesses and services, including teleworking and video conferencing systems, access to healthcare, education and essential goods and services. The paper notes that African countries that have made progress with the liberalization of their telecom sector, which in turn led to the wide spread availability of broadband infrastructure, were able to reap the benefit in fighting COVID-19. Pre-existing policy and regulatory measures had implications to the affordability, accessibility and use of information and communication technologies in different African countries. Once this pandemic is over, the world economy will largely be driven by the digital technology that Africa need to be ready to catch up with and in some respects lead the future of the digital world.