Togo Launches National Challenge to Bridge Technology and Healthcare

ITC

Sunday, 16 November 2025 15:42

Togo Launches National Challenge to Bridge Technology and Healthcare

(Togo First) - A national technology competition called the Tech x Health Challenge was launched on Friday, November 14, 2025, at the Innovation and Technology Hub (UniPod) of the University of Lomé. The initiative is jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Health, with support from the ProDigiT project implemented by GIZ Togo. Its guiding idea is that digital tools can improve healthcare and save lives.

Speaking at the launch, Kwamivi Hodouto, representing the Minister of Digital Transformation, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digital technology as a central pillar of Togo’s development under the Togo Digital 2025 strategy. He said the health sector is a priority within this wider effort. “With this competition, we are taking a new step by putting Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the service of healthcare,” he said.

Nassirou Ouro-Nile, speaking for the Ministry of Health, said the challenge aligns with the government’s push to modernize the health system through digital innovation.

Competition Targets Key Weaknesses in the Health System

According to Farook Sanni, Data Scientist at Togo Data Lab, the competition aims to mobilize participants to design digital solutions addressing several major weaknesses in the system. These include the lack of secure and interoperable medical records, inadequate patient follow-up, errors in medication management, limited access to affordable and high-quality care, overcrowding in health facilities, unreliable data flows and inconsistent monitoring of patients. Sanni said the winning project will be incubated within the Ministry of Health and developed toward implementation.

The competition is open to all Togo residents aged 18 or older who want to apply digital innovation to healthcare. This includes students in computer science, health sciences, data science, design and social innovation; doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers; developers, data scientists, entrepreneurs and researchers working on AI for health; and individuals leading social-impact projects.

Organizers say the goal is to spur innovation in the health sector, encourage collaboration among professionals and researchers, expand the use of data and AI in socially impactful solutions and identify viable projects that can be supported through deployment.

Professional Backing and Need for Regulatory Compliance

Dr. Anthony Békéti, President of the National Order of Physicians of Togo, welcomed the initiative. “This challenge comes at the right time. We are at a turning point where digital tools are becoming essential,” he said. He added that new digital solutions could improve patient care, enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce the daily workload of health workers.

He also described the challenge as an opportunity for health professionals to work closely with digital experts to build a more responsive, secure and patient-centred system. But he stressed that all projects must comply fully with existing medical laws and regulations.

Registration runs until December 14, 2025. Four awards will be presented: the Excellence in Tech & Health Award, the Applied Research Award, the Best Pitch Award and the Audience Award. Details and registration information are available on the official platform.

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REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.