Legal mechanisms for digital healthcare transformation in Africa: state and perspective

Abstract

Recently, there has been a desire among health actors in Africa to move towards digital health services. This situation results in the necessity of examining the role of legal mechanisms in the field of digital transformation in the medical field. The article attempts to discuss this role by using an analytical methodology to diagnose the legal reality in Africa. The article also uses data from the International Telecommunication Union in order to identify Africa’s capabilities in the digital field. The research concluded with a set of findings centered on Africa’s lack of a legal framework for digitizing the health sector, such as laws regulating artificial intelligence and blockchain. African States can add new texts in civil law about smart contracts and to define clear statute for the use of AI in healthcare.