Digital Silk Road Development Forum | Nii Narku Quaynor: Collaborative innovation is needed to bridge digital and intelligent health gaps in Global South

Nii Narku Quaynor, chairman of Ghana Dot Com Ltd, delivers a speech at the Digital and Intelligent Health Forum, part of the 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Nii Narku Quaynor, chairman of Ghana Dot Com Ltd, called for efforts to solidify the foundation of digital infrastructure and to work to bridge the digital and intelligent health gaps in countries of the Global South with collaborative innovation.

Quaynor, a Ghanaian scientist and engineer known as "Father of the Internet in Africa", made the remarks on July 22 at the Digital and Intelligent Health Forum, part of the 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Drawing from over 50 years of experience in internet infrastructure, Quaynor shared his insights into digital and intelligent health development from an African perspective, focusing on digital infrastructure, talent cultivation, and international cooperation.

Emphasizing the importance of digital systems in the healthcare sector, he said that robust infrastructure is essential for the implementation of digital and intelligent health applications.

Reflecting on Africa's digital transformation, Quaynor noted the leapfrog adoption of mobile internet and digital payments, suggesting similar potential in healthcare. 

He said that technologies such as telemedicine, AI-assisted diagnostics, and disease prediction can extend quality healthcare to remote areas. However, he stressed that these advancements require collaborative innovation, as no single hospital, company, or nation can tackle global health challenges alone.

Quaynor acknowledged challenges in the Global South, including insufficient medical data, weak communication networks, and reliance on paper records. He proposed three core strategies for advancing global digital health: investing in digital infrastructure, nurturing skilled professionals, and fostering cross-sector and cross-border collaboration.