Telemedicine in Africa: Applications, Opportunities, and Challenges

Abstract

Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services remotely through information and communication technology (ICT) devices. Telemedicine offers a promising solution to address unmet healthcare needs across the African continent. This review explores the current state, opportunities, and challenges of telemedicine in this context. While growth has been significant in recent decades, access remains limited in many rural and underserved regions due to numerous barriers. Despite these limitations, telemedicine has demonstrated its great potential to improve healthcare delivery, particularly in primary care, chronic disease management, specialist consultations, and remote education and training. As new technologies emerge, the scope of services will expand. When used effectively, telemedicine not only improves patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency but also enables collaboration among healthcare professionals, fostering knowledge sharing, and capacity building across geographical barriers. To increase effective utilization across African states, access barriers such as limited internet connectivity, inadequate infrastructure, regulatory hurdles, cultural beliefs, and individual (patient/provider) concerns must be addressed. This requires a multifaceted approach involving various stakeholders supporting healthcare service delivery in the continent.