​ITU demonstrated its commitment to expanding digital connectivity across Africa this week in Kigali, Rwanda, where the Transform Africa Summit 2018 was held 8-9 May. More than 4,000 participants including government ministers, United Nations experts, industry leaders, civic leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and young innovators focused on "Accelerating Africa's single digital market."

On 8 May, ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao participated in the launch at Transform Africa of the African Alliance of Digital Health Networks, an initiative designed to build the capacity of future digital health leaders in Africa through leadership and entrepreneurship programmes.

 "At ITU, we strongly believe that Africa has the human capacity to lead progress, provided health leaders and experts have access to the right opportunities. That's why ITU and WHO have begun developing a digital health leadership program as part of the African Alliance. We all need to join forces to train the next generation of tech-savvy leaders, software developers, and digitally literate healthcare workers in Africa," said Secretary-General Zhao.

A component of the African Alliance of Digital Health Networks is the WHO/ITU Digital Health for Africa partnership launched in November 2017. The partnership is assisting countries in Africa to promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the health sector. For example, it equips healthcare workers with digital skills and supports building the infrastructure for digital health services.

On 6-7 May in Kigali, on the eve of Transform Africa, ITU held the spring meeting of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. Thirty-four Commissioners, including the co-chairs President Paul Kagame and Carlos Slim, and ITU Secretary-General Zhao who serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Commission, met to reaffirm their commitment to bringing broadband digital connectivity to all in Africa and across the globe, and to advance concrete steps to leverage broadband towards achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

ITU also opened the meeting of the Access Coalition of the EQUALS Global Partnership – a growing network of nearly 60 organizations working together to bridge the digital gender divide. Coalition members focus on developing strategies to increase women's access to and use of the Internet in target countries including Rwanda.

Learn more about ITU's activities in Africa through the ITU Regional Office for Africa