Academia Docket Lead
West African Institute of Public Health.
Brief Overview:
The Academia Docket serves as a critical pillar within the Africa Digital Health Network (ADHN), bridging research, innovation, and implementation across Africa’s digital health ecosystem.
"Africa’s digital health transformation must be built on evidence, collaboration, and local knowledge — not imported solutions.”
— Dr. Francis Ohanyido, Academia Docket Lead, ADHN.
Recognizing that sustainable digital transformation requires locally driven evidence, knowledge, and talent, this docket mobilizes universities, research institutions, and training bodies to advance a culture of evidence-informed decision-making. It ensures that digital health initiatives are grounded in African realities, guided by data, and aligned with continental and global priorities such as the Africa CDC Digital Health Strategy and the AU Digital Transformation Strategy.
Priority Focus Areas
- Enhance collaboration among academic institutions and researchers across Africa.
- Build a skilled digital health workforce through education and training programs.
- Foster innovation and entrepreneurship in academic settings.
- Translate evidence into practice, connecting research outcomes with policy and implementation.
- Promote Africa-led research visibility through joint publications and knowledge-sharing platforms.
Mandate
The Academia Docket is mandated to:
- Generate and disseminate evidence to inform policy, investment, and programmatic decisions on digital health.
- Promote research and innovation, fostering partnerships between academia, public institutions, and private actors.
- Strengthen digital health education and capacity, developing curricula, certifications, and professional programs.
- Support knowledge translation to ensure research findings inform practice and policymaking.
- Advise ADHN and Member States on emerging technologies, ethical considerations, and best practices in digital health research and education.
Most Asked Question.
The Academia Docket is one of ADHN’s core thematic areas focused on bridging research, innovation, and policy in Africa’s digital health ecosystem. It mobilizes universities, research institutions, and training organizations to generate evidence, strengthen capacity, and promote data-driven digital health transformation.
Membership is open to academic institutions, researchers, educators, students, and policy think tanks working in or contributing to digital health. Individual professionals and institutions aligned with ADHN’s mission are welcome to participate.
The docket aims to promote evidence-informed policymaking, enhance digital health education and workforce development, and encourage research collaboration and innovation across Africa.
Members gain access to ADHN’s research network, technical working groups, mentorship programs, and opportunities to co-author publications, co-design curricula, and participate in research-to-policy dialogues.
Planned activities include regional research collaborations, academic consortiums, policy roundtables, training programs, and publication of joint reports highlighting African-led digital health advancements.