ACCRA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Ghana will collaborate with the Health Community of West Africa (HCOWA), a Ghana-based Chinese private firm, to improve healthcare and lay the foundation for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled health solutions in West Africa, an official announced on Tuesday.
During the launch of the upcoming China-West Africa Medical and Health Industry Expo, Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, director-general of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said that the collaboration with the Chinese company seeks to transform Ghana into a sub-regional hub for medical innovation and regional health advancement.
"Through this collaboration, we aim to establish AI treatment centers across Ghana, deploy AI-powered medical imaging and diagnosis systems in key healthcare facilities, and equip public and private hospitals, laboratories, and diagnostic centers with cutting-edge medical technologies," Akoriyea said.
Akoriyea said Ghana would also set up a cancer treatment and research center to serve national needs and expand access to modern surgical equipment, pharmaceutical solutions, and medical training resources through public-private partnerships.
About the upcoming expo, jointly presented by GHS and HCOWA, Akoriyea said this year's edition would attract over 1,500 stakeholders from across West Africa, more than 100 Chinese medical enterprises, and delegations from the public sectors in all 15 West African countries.
HCOWA Vice President Prince Opoku Dogbey said an AI medical supply chain platform, a digital platform, would be launched during the expo to enable foreign and local companies to trade medical supplies, forecast needs, and manage inventories with speed and precision, with Ghana as the pilot country.
