The population of sub-Saharan Africa is growing rapidly. According to a recent analysis, the region is expected to account for 37% of the world’s population by 2100 due to a decline in infant mortality and an increase in life expectancy. With an average of 4.2 births per woman, sub-Saharan Africa continues to have one of the highest birth rates in the world.

As the study highlights, a high birth rate indicates that much work remains in the fight against poverty. The World Bank reports that 43.3% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lives in poverty. Poverty disproportionately affects women: 74% of all women living in poverty are from sub-Saharan Africa. They continue to face structural barriers, low levels of education and a lack of adequate health care.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with women in eHealth in sub-Saharan Africa have set goals to combat poverty through a strategy focused on female empowerment in the health care sector. These organizations have recognized the potential of the female workforce when women in digital health receive proper training and support—with benefits for economic growth across the region and globe.

Downsizing Female Poverty

To reduce the negative effects of high birth rates in sub-Saharan Africa, women’s health and female empowerment play major roles. Research found that female educational levels and fertility rates in that region strongly correlate, in a study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, the University of Vienna and the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital. The more educational opportunities women have, the greater their chances of pursuing better careers in higher-income groups. Statistically, these women have smaller families and longer intervals between births.

The positive impact of education and health initiatives on individual women also extends to the broader society. The study analyzed data from 39 sub-Saharan African countries between 1986 and 2022. The research found that education for women positively influences the demographic development of the region. It also points out that women in communities who receive education and change their fertility behavior often influence less educated women in their community.

Telemedicine and apps can provide women with valuable health information, reaching even the most remote areas. This support helps with the use of contraceptives and improving maternal health. When the number of infant deaths is high, families in sub-Saharan Africa tend to have more children to compensate. Due to a decline in infant mortality, birth rates have also dropped in developing regions.

Female Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa

By offering specific educational programs exclusively for women in digital health, eHealth Africa (eHA) aims to provide the necessary IT and business management skills. The training encourages women to build businesses and relationships with the organization. This way, women have an easier transition into professional life in the health care sector. Women represent 33.3% of eHealth Africa’s workforce and 34.7% of leadership positions.

For eHealth Africa, the inclusion of women as decision-makers in the health care sector is a strategic investment. Gender-conscious recruitment practices, leadership development opportunities, mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies open opportunities for female careers. In collaboration with EHA Impact Ventures (EIV), eHealth Africa recently trained 213 women from 11 Nigerian states to acquire the necessary operational skills and meet compliance requirements. This helps overcome structural barriers and improves their chances of securing institutional procurement contracts.

African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) is an organization focused on promoting career paths for women in sub-Saharan Africa. AWiDH’s education and development programs are specifically designed to strengthen the presence of women in the African health care sector to provide customized services necessary for improving women’s health.

African Women in Digital Health advocates for the systematic integration of gender perspectives and strives for greater representation of women in the African health care sector. To this end, the organization offers training sessions, workshops and webinars that develop leadership and IT skills and cultivate the mindset and self-confidence needed to take on leadership roles.

Conclusion

The demographic development in Africa in the upcoming years is decisive for countries’ economic growth and a positive development of the poverty rate in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, women’s health and their overrepresentation in the health care sector play key roles in reducing fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa and utilizing the full potential of women in eHealth in the workforce.

Closing the women’s health gap could boost the global economy by at least $1 trillion annually by 2040, as the World Economic Forum reports. To continue the successful work of NGOs in health care in sub-Saharan Africa, they depend on foreign aid and assistance policies.

– Oliwia Kowalak

Oliwia is based in Berlin, Germany and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

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