To stem the estimated $7 billion Africa lost annually to medical tourism, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH) on Wednesday in Lagos called for an African-led transformation of the continent’s healthcare systems, warning that the exodus of patients and healthcare spending is undermining Africa’s capacity to build world-class health systems.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer of Aga Khan University Hospital, Mr. Khurram Jamal, said more than 300,000 Africans travel to India every year for medical treatment, while billions of dollars that could strengthen healthcare systems across Africa continue to leave the continent.
He said the trend is fuelled by shortages of specialist services, inconsistent quality standards, fragmented referral systems and the widespread perception that better healthcare is only available outside Africa.
“True shared prosperity means building health systems that Africans can trust, access and rely on right here at home. Every year, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of patients leave our continent in search of healthcare. Our responsibility is to change that by investing in quality, people, research and partnerships that keep both patients and healthcare investment in Africa,” Jamal said.
According to him, Africa already possesses the expertise and opportunity to reverse the trend but must deliberately invest in quality healthcare, specialist training, medical research and stronger regional partnerships to rebuild public confidence in its health systems.
Jamal argued that restoring trust in African healthcare requires consistently delivering internationally benchmarked standards rather than relying on patriotism to persuade patients to stay.
“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.”
He explained that Aga Khan University Hospital has invested heavily in internationally accredited systems, advanced medical technologies and globally recognised quality standards, becoming the first hospital in East Africa to attain Joint Commission International accreditation while also securing international certifications in laboratory medicine, pathology, cardiac and stroke care.
Jamal also identified Africa’s critical shortage of healthcare workers as another factor driving medical tourism, noting that the continent has only about 1.5 health workers per 1,000 populations, far below the 4.45 doctors, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recommended by the World Health Organisation.
He lamented that many African doctors who leave the continent for specialist training never return, further widening the healthcare gap. “A building cannot heal a patient. A state-of-the-art operating theatre is simply an expensive room without a trained specialist inside it. 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.”
He disclosed that the hospital currently has more than 200 full-time specialists, offers residency programmes in nine medical specialties and runs 16 clinical fellowship programmes designed to train the next generation of African specialists.
On research, Jamal said Africa bears about 25 per cent of the global disease burden despite accounting for only around four per cent of global clinical trials, arguing that the continent must generate evidence that reflects its own health realities.
“Africa should not only consume medical knowledge; it must create it. Building our own research capacity is essential if we are to develop solutions that reflect Africa’s unique health realities.”
He revealed that the hospital’s Clinical Research Unit has participated in 17 clinical research projects since 2020, with three contributing to therapies already approved for use in Kenya, adding that the institution will soon launch sub-Saharan Africa’s first next-generation genome sequencing laboratory to advance precision medicine and genomic research.
To improve access to specialist care within Africa, Jamal said the hospital has partnered with Kenya Airways to simplify medical travel for patients across the continent through coordinated referrals, pre-travel teleconsultations, subsidised airfares, airport transfers and post-treatment follow-up.
“Our partnership with Kenya Airways creates a seamless, end-to-end medical travel corridor that makes healthcare safer, more affordable and more dignified. From the moment a patient decides to seek care until they return home, we coordinate the journey so they can focus on recovery rather than logistics.”
Responding to concerns that Nigeria could simply become ar East Africa, Anthony Kagiri, said the institution’s engagement with the country is built on collaboration rather than patient recruitment
According to him, the hospital regularly engages Nigerian specialists to exchange knowledge, strengthen professional partnerships and identify areas where both countries can complement each other’s healthcare strengths.
“It is not a trip to get patients. Our doctors come here to learn from Nigerian doctors and also share knowledge. Where Nigeria has expertise, we learn. Where we have capabilities that are not yet available, patients can access them in Nairobi. It is about strengthening African healthcare together.”
Jamal stressed that as a private, not-for-profit teaching hospital, every surplus generated by the institution is reinvested in specialist training, research, technology and patient support programmes rather than distributed as profit.
“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.”
