The two-day summit brought together healthcare innovators, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs and diaspora leaders to advance resilient healthcare systems across Africa, generating calls for action on digital health, cross-continental investment and Canada–Africa partnership.
TORONTO, Ontario — June 11, 2026
The inaugural international edition of the Africa HealthTech Summit × Canada (AHTSx Canada 2026) concluded successfully in Toronto, bringing together more than 300 leaders from healthcare, government, academia, technology, investment, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship to advance conversations on the future of connected care and resilient health systems.
Held on June 9–10, 2026 at the Chestnut Conference Centre, University of Toronto, the summit marked a significant milestone as the first time the Africa HealthTech Summit was hosted outside the African continent.
Under the theme “Connected Care: Innovation and Partnerships for Resilient Health Systems,” participants from across Africa, Canada, and the global health ecosystem convened to explore practical solutions to some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges while strengthening partnerships that can accelerate innovation at scale.
Over two days, delegates engaged in high-level discussions on:
- Digital health and AI-enabled healthcare
- Health systems transformation
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Investment and catalytic capital
- Women’s health and health equity
- Public-private partnerships
- Cross-border collaboration between Africa and Canada
The summit featured leaders from organizations including Grand Challenges Canada, Digital Health Canada, AMREF Health Africa, University of Toronto, York University, Ontario Health, eHealth Africa, Villgro Africa, UNICEF, Government of Canada, The One Campaign , Africa Impact Initiative , Madiro and many others.
Opening the summit, Ambassador Prosper Higiro, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Canada, emphasized the importance of innovation, talent, and leadership in shaping the future of health systems.
“Transformation begins not with what a nation has, but with what it chooses to become. We choose to invest in our people, we choose to invest in innovation, and we choose to embrace technology not as an end in itself, but as a tool to improve lives and expand opportunities.”
Throughout the summit, speakers highlighted the need to move beyond technology deployment toward meaningful impact and scalable solutions.
Reflecting on the role of innovation in addressing complex health challenges, Karlee Silver, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, underscored the importance of problem-driven innovation.
“If you can define what the actual challenges are, and innovate against that problem, we can come up with great solutions.”
A key focus throughout AHTSx Canada was the role of collaboration in advancing health innovation and strengthening health systems. Beyond the sessions, the summit facilitated strategic networking, investment conversations, startup showcases, policy dialogues, and partnership engagements designed to create lasting collaboration between African and Canadian ecosystems.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Chairman of the Africa HealthTech Summit, noted that the Toronto edition represented an important step in expanding the summit’s vision beyond Africa while strengthening global collaboration around health innovation.
“This summit was created to bring together public health and technology communities to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing health systems. Hosting AHTS in Canada for the first time has enabled us to build new bridges between Africa and North America, creating opportunities for innovation, investment, talent exchange, and long-term partnership.”
The summit concluded with a shared commitment to deepen Canada–Africa collaboration and strengthen the innovation ecosystems required to build resilient, people-centered health systems.
Looking Ahead
The conversations and partnerships sparked in Toronto will continue at the next edition of the Africa HealthTech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 30 – October 2, 2026, where leaders from across Africa and the world will gather to advance discussions on digital health, innovation, investment, and health systems transformation.
Organizers also announced that AHTSx Canada will return to Toronto on June 9–10, 2027, building on the success of this inaugural international edition and expanding opportunities for collaboration between Africa and North America.
About AHTS
The Africa HealthTech Summit (AHTS) is a global platform that convenes leaders across healthcare, technology, policy, research, investment, and entrepreneurship to accelerate innovation and strengthen health systems across Africa and beyond.
For more information, visit ahts.ca.
