The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi, has urged African governments, healthcare institutions, and policymakers to invest strategically in quality healthcare, specialist training, research, and regional collaboration to reduce the continent’s growing dependence on medical tourism.
The hospital warned that Africa loses approximately $7 billion every year to outbound medical tourism, as hundreds of thousands of patients travel overseas seeking specialized healthcare services.
Speaking on the need to strengthen healthcare systems across the continent, AKUH Chief Operating Officer, Khurram Jamal, revealed that more than 300,000 Africans travel to India annually for medical treatment due to limited specialist services, inconsistent quality standards, and the perception that better healthcare is available abroad.
“True shared prosperity means building health systems that Africans can trust, access and rely on right here at home,” Jamal said.
Why Africans Continue to Seek Treatment Abroad
According to Jamal, many Africans continue to travel outside the continent because they lack confidence in local healthcare systems.
He stressed that restoring patients’ trust requires healthcare providers to consistently deliver internationally benchmarked quality while embedding patient safety into every aspect of healthcare delivery.
“We cannot expect patients to stay simply out of patriotism. We must earn their trust by delivering internationally benchmarked quality, embedding safety into every process and proving that world-class healthcare is available right here in Africa.”
AKUH became the first hospital in East Africa to receive Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation and has maintained the certification through continuous reaccreditation. The hospital has also earned internationally recognized certifications in pathology, laboratory medicine, cardiac care, and stroke care.
Africa Needs More Healthcare Professionals
Jamal emphasized that improving healthcare infrastructure alone is not enough.
Quoting World Health Organization estimates, he noted that Africa currently has only 1.5 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 people, far below the recommended minimum of 4.45 healthcare workers per 1,000 population required to provide adequate healthcare services.
“A building cannot heal a patient. A state-of-the-art operating theatre is simply an expensive room without a trained specialist inside it.”
He explained that while hospitals can be built within months, training medical specialists requires years of investment.
“Infrastructure can be built in months, but a specialist takes more than a decade to train. If Africa is to close its healthcare gap, we must invest as heavily in people as we do in buildings.”
AKUH currently operates one of East Africa’s leading teaching hospitals, offering undergraduate medical and nursing education, residency programmes, and 16 clinical fellowship programmes across nine medical specialties.
Research Is Key to Solving Africa’s Health Challenges
Jamal also called for increased investment in African-led clinical research.
Despite accounting for approximately 17 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the global disease burden, Africa contributes only four percent of global clinical trials, he said.
“Africa should not only consume medical knowledge—it must create it.”
He disclosed that since launching its Clinical Research Unit in 2020, AKUH has participated in 17 clinical research projects, three of which contributed to therapies now approved for use in Kenya.
The hospital has also invested significantly in digital health systems, including an electronic health record platform that supports patient care, medical education, and research.
Partnership with Kenya Airways Expands Access to Specialist Care
To improve access to specialist healthcare across Africa, AKUH has partnered with Kenya Airways to establish a coordinated medical travel programme.
The initiative connects the airline’s network of 34 African destinations with AKUH’s specialist healthcare services, offering:
- Pre-travel teleconsultations
- Coordinated medical referrals
- Subsidized airfares
- Medical travel clearance
- Airport transfers
- Hospital navigation support
- Accommodation assistance
- Post-treatment follow-up through telemedicine
According to Jamal, the partnership creates a seamless healthcare journey for patients while enabling them to receive world-class treatment within Africa.
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Collaboration Is Essential to Reduce Medical Tourism
Jamal said reversing Africa’s medical tourism trend will require coordinated action from governments, healthcare providers, regulators, airlines, and development partners.
He maintained that Africa possesses the talent and resources needed to build globally competitive healthcare systems.
“Africa has the talent, the patients and the opportunity. By investing in people, quality, research and regional partnerships, we can keep African patients, African talent and African healthcare investment where they belong—here in Africa.”
Key Takeaways
- Africa loses $7 billion annually through outbound medical tourism.
- More than 300,000 Africans travel to India each year for healthcare.
- Africa has only 1.5 healthcare professionals per 1,000 people, below the WHO benchmark.
- AKUH advocates greater investment in specialist training, quality healthcare, research, and regional partnerships.
- Building patient trust is essential to reducing medical tourism and strengthening healthcare systems across Africa.
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