The Health Community of West Africa Association (HCOWAA), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), is set to host the 2025 China–West Africa Medical and Health Industry Expo and AI Diagnosis Project Cooperation Summit from August 20 to 22, 2025, at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
The expo, which was officially launched on Tuesday at the Ghana Health Service Headquarters in Accra, brought together key stakeholders and dignitaries from the health and medical sectors and was led by the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea; the Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at GHS, Dr. Boakye Boateng; Chief Director of HCOWAA, Mr. David Tai; and Vice President of the Association, Mr. Prince Opoku Dogbey.
Set to become the largest medical industry event in West Africa, the 2025 Medical Expo will host over 100 exhibitors from China, including manufacturers of advanced medical equipment, providers of AI-driven healthcare solutions, producers of traditional Chinese medicine, researchers, academicians, and health technology experts. The event is positioned as a strategic platform for healthcare transformation, investment promotion, and sustainable development in the region.
In his remarks, Professor Kaba emphasized that the expo represents more than just an industry showcase, describing it as a gateway to a new era of healthcare innovation in Ghana and beyond.
He explained that through this collaboration, the Ghana Health Service aims to establish Artificial Intelligence (AI) treatment centres across the country, deploy AI-powered diagnostic systems in key hospitals, and equip both public and private healthcare facilities with state-of-the-art medical technologies.
He further announced plans to establish a National Cancer Treatment and Research Centre to serve both Ghanaian and regional health needs, in addition to enhancing access to modern surgical equipment, pharmaceutical solutions, and medical training through public-private partnerships.
The 2025 Expo will also serve as a platform for specialised knowledge exchange through four thematic medical forums. These include sessions on oncology, ophthalmology, nephrology, and AI-integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The forums will provide opportunities for stakeholders to engage in real-world solution-building and collaborative initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery across the sub-region.
Speaking at the launch, Vice President of HCOWAA, Mr. Prince Opoku Dogbey, highlighted the event’s potential to unlock direct investment, drive technology transfer, and foster enduring partnerships between Ghanaian and Chinese institutions.
He noted that plans are underway to establish medical equipment assembly plants, local reagent production hubs, AI diagnosis centres, and telemedicine units across the country.
These initiatives, he stated, will create jobs and develop skills among Ghanaian youth in fields such as biotechnology, AI, and health technology.
He further announced the launch of the AI Medical Supply Chain Platform, a new digital innovation that Ghana will be the first to pilot in West Africa.
The platform is designed to enable smarter, faster, and more transparent medical supply chain and inventory management, positioning Ghana as a hub for digital health and medical trade in the sub-region.
Dr. Boakye Boateng, Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana Health Service, lauded the initiative and described the expo as timely and forward-looking.
He underscored AI as a transformative tool and insisted that it must be embraced as a core pillar of Ghana’s evolving healthcare system.
Also addressing the audience was Ms. Enla Fees, Director of Stakeholder Engagement for Global Health at Qure.ai, who stressed the importance of expanding AI-enabled healthcare access across the country.
She shared how AI-powered X-ray machines are already being used to detect tuberculosis in asymptomatic patients and emphasised the role of such technologies in eliminating undiagnosed TB cases in Ghana and West Africa.
The second half of the press briefing featured a live demonstration of AI-driven medical equipment by HCOWAA and Qure.ai, illustrating the growing role of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and patient care.
The event concluded with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting led by Chief Director David Tai and Vice President Prince Opoku Dogbey of HCOWAA, along with Professor Kaba Akoriyea and Dr. Boakye Boateng.
The symbolic moment, witnessed by members of the media and health stakeholders, marked Ghana’s forward leap into AI-powered healthcare.
The 2025 China–West Africa Medical and Health Industry Expo and AI Diagnosis Deployment and Project Cooperation Summit is expected to drive investment, deepen international collaboration, and promote sustainable healthcare solutions under the theme “Promoting Trade and Investment for Industrial Development and Sustainable Health Outcomes.”
