CMO Kabba Pushes Timely Decision-Making in Digital Health Innovatio
Sierra Leone’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mustapha Kabba, has called on global health leaders, technology developers and investors to measure the value of digital health and artificial intelligence by how effectively they help health workers make timely decisions that can save lives.
Kabba made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 6th UNGA Digital Health Symposium during a featured international plenary on healthcare innovation in low-resource settings and the potential of digital and AI technologies.
Drawing on his experience as a clinician, Kabba said the usefulness of health information is closely linked to how quickly it reaches those who need to act on it.
“The value of a test result depends partly on when it arrives. A referral depends on whether the receiving team knows the patient is coming. A warning matters when there is still an opportunity to respond,” he said.
He stressed that technology should do more than generate or store information, arguing that digital systems should support health workers at the point where decisions need to be made.
“Technology earns its place when it helps those people act in time,” Kabba said.
The Chief Medical Officer also highlighted Sierra Leone’s efforts to integrate health data through the National Health Information Hub, launched in January 2026 by Minister of Health Dr Austin Demby. The platform was established to consolidate data from multiple health information systems and provide decision-makers with more timely and actionable information. (The United Nations in Sierra Leone)
The Hub integrates information from health facilities and other health-sector systems, helping national and district health teams gain a more consolidated view of the health system and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Kabba urged development partners and investors introducing new digital health tools to ensure that they connect with existing national systems rather than creating separate platforms that could contribute to further fragmentation.
The 6th UNGA Digital Health Symposium was held on September 22–23, 2026, with the programme focusing on healthcare innovation in low-resource settings.
Kabba concluded by challenging developers and funders to consider the practical impact of the technologies they support, asking: “Whose work will improve, and how will we know?”
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