The Government has called for stronger Ghana-China and West African cooperation to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and medical technology to improve healthcare delivery.

🇬🇭 Here's What Happened

The call was made at the opening of the 2026 China-West Africa Medical and Health Industry Expo and AI Deployment and Project Cooperation Summit in Accra.

Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, said advances in AI, digital health, medical technology, biotechnology and data sciences were creating opportunities to improve disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and health systems management.

She, however, said the technologies must be clinically validated, secure, affordable and suited to Ghana’s healthcare system.

📌 Key Details

“Technology must support, not replace, the judgment and human connection of health professionals,” she said, stressing that patients must remain at the centre of healthcare.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah said AI-assisted diagnostics, medical imaging, predictive analysis and digital health systems could extend specialist expertise, particularly in underserved areas.

She said Ghana’s healthcare priorities included strengthening primary healthcare and early detection, citing the 2023 STEPS survey, which recorded hypertension prevalence of 21.7 per cent and diabetes prevalence of 5.2 per cent among the population surveyed.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah said Ghana-China cooperation should move beyond importing finished medical products to include local manufacturing and assembly, technology transfer, research collaboration, professional training and investment in local technical capacity.

Such cooperation, she said, would strengthen health security, create jobs and contribute to a resilient healthcare system.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah also called for greater regional cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical technology, research, specialist services, professional training and digital health.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana