{"id":18851,"date":"2025-06-23T11:17:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T09:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/?p=18851"},"modified":"2025-06-26T15:24:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T13:24:33","slug":"bold-about-healthcare-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newmediacreative.co.za\/afrocentric\/archives\/18851","title":{"rendered":"Bold about healthcare reform\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Industry Leaders converged in May for the 24th Annual BHF Conference, themed Uniting Parallels Collaborating for Value Partnerships, Transforming the Future of Healthcare <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 24th Annual Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) Conference, held from 10 – 14 May 2025, brought together the continent\u2019s foremost healthcare minds, policymakers, academics, and innovators to engage in critical discussions on the future of healthcare in South Africa and across the African continent.<\/p>

AfroCentric, a proud platinum sponsor of the conference, once again played a participatory and facilitator role in shaping these conversations, reinforcing commitment to advancing accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all Africans.<\/p>

The opening ceremony of the Conference convened a formidable lineup of leaders whose thought-provoking addresses collectively set the tone for the week\u2019s deliberations. Each speaker offered a compelling perspective on the urgent and complex task of reforming South Africa\u2019s healthcare system. Neo Khauoe, Principal Officer of POLMED and Chairperson of the BHF, opened the proceedings with a warm welcome, urging delegates to fully engage with the week\u2019s content and embrace the lessons shared as a catalyst for genuine transformation in the sector.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Data-led decisions <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In a presentation titled \u201cThe Grand Experiment: Lessons from the GNU\u201d, Dr Pali Lehohla, Board member: Institute for Economic Justice and former Statistician-General of South Africa, called for a return to data-led decision-making in healthcare policy. He underscored that sustainable reform must be anchored in evidence and demographic insight. Drawing from historical figures to illustrate the power of principled leadership, he referenced mentor Morena Mohlomi\u2019s model of responsible leadership, Florence Nightingale\u2019s use of statistics to save lives, Marie Curie\u2019s belief that “nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood”, and Alexander the Great\u2019s final wishes as a call to act boldly and urgently in the present. Professor Lehohla additionally emphasised that quality education is the conduit with which to drive this transformation in healthcare.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bridging divides <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State and esteemed business leader, delivered a rousing address under the theme \u201cUniting Parallels: Bridging Divides to Transform Healthcare\u201d. He made a strong case for aligning healthcare reform with economic development, job creation, and ethical, patriotic leadership. Mohale shared sobering statistics \u2013 40% of South Africans spend most of their income on transport, another 40% are employed but uninsured, and nine million people pay out-of-pocket for healthcare \u2013 to underscore the systemic inequalities that must be addressed to ensure access for all.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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AI transforms healthcare <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Adding a cutting-edge dimension, Dr Adam Pantanowitz, a globally recognised biomedical and electrical engineer, delivered a session titled \u201cThe AI Revolution\u201d. He highlighted how artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare, highlighting Brainternet \u2013 a groundbreaking, world-first project he conceptualised and supervised. Brainternet connects the human brain to the internet in real-time, converting electroencephalogram (EEG) signals into an open-source brainwave livestream.<\/p>

Using commercially available devices, the project enables machine learning to classify user movement and decode neural activity. Dr Pantanowitz demonstrated how such innovations can revolutionise diagnostics, rehabilitation, and patient monitoring \u2013 cementing South Africa\u2019s place on the global health-tech map.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The power of collaboration <\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A common thread running through all the addresses was the urgent need for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors. Speakers repeatedly emphasised that partnerships \u2013 between insurers, healthcare providers, policymakers, innovators, and academia \u2013 are critical to building a more inclusive, efficient, and resilient healthcare system. This opening session laid the intellectual and strategic foundation for the rest of the conference, setting the stage for deeper discussions on universal health coverage, funding reforms, governance, data-driven transformation, and the power of industry collaboration.<\/p>

Subsequent plenary sessions expanded on these themes, questioning whether current healthcare partnerships \u2013 both locally and globally \u2013 are achieving meaningful transformation. These conversations gained even more relevance in light of shifting donor landscapes, such as the impact of the PEPFAR funding freeze.<\/p>

Some of these sessions were facilitated by our leaders, including:<\/p>