An expert in medical informatics and eHealth, Prof. Bagayoko is currently Head of the Innovation and Digital Health Center at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako in Mali. He brings over 25 years of experience to DHP, having managed and implemented major eHealth projects, notably through expert missions carried out across multiple African countries and Europe, but also through his role as General Coordinator of the Network in Francophone Africa for Telemedicine.

Prof. Bagayoko is the Vice-President of the Francophone Interest Group within the International Medical Informatics Association, a member of the board of the Pan African Health Informatics Association (HELINA), a full member of the Malian Academy of Sciences and Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics.

Author of numerous scientific publications, Prof. Bagayoko has been awarded many scientific and honorary distinctions, including the Swiss government postdoctoral Excellence Fellowship, the Mali National Medal of Merit, and the “RFI Challenge App Afrique” award.

An international expert in data warehousing, systems integration, and formulation of digital health strategies, Dr. Stephen Mburu has contributed to health informatics research and the development of digital health solutions across various domains. These include analysis of digital ecosystems, data modeling, as well as development of policies, strategic plans, standards and guidelines, and integrated systems for low- and middle-income countries.

Currently, Dr. Mburu is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi in Kenya and a systems developer working with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Palladium Group, USAID, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, PATH, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ). Some of the development projects he has delivered include: integrated African Health Observatory (iAHO), Data Capture Tool (DCT), Kenya Health and Research Observatory (KHRO), OpenIMIS in Nepal, and LamisPlus 2.0 in Nigeria.

Dr. Mburu is a graduate of PhD in Information Systems (Health Informatics) at the University of Nairobi in collaboration with Technische Universität Dresden (TUD). He also holds a Master of Science in Information Systems and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.

A senior manager for healthcare information technology and telehealth programs at Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, a public charitable trust in India, Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran has coordinated the implementation of a wide range of digital health solutions in hospitals over the past 20 years.

Jai is a member of the Governing Council of the Asia eHealth Information Network, the Global South eHealth Observatory’s Expert Committee, the World Health Organization’s Roster of Experts on Digital Health, the Broadband Commission’s Digital Health Working Group, and the Bureau of Indian Standards’ Health Informatics Sectional Committee. He is also visiting faculty at the Manipal College of Health Professions, under the aegis of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.

Holding two master’s degrees, in Science and in Business Administration, Jai is currently part of the taskforce from the International Medical Informatics Association charged with revising the Guidelines on Education in Biomedical and Health Informatics.

Joseline Carías Galeano is a Latin-American specialist and project consultant on digital transformation, focusing on the social sector. A digital health promoter and networking activist, she is currently the General Manager and member of the Board of Directors at the Central American Health Informatics Network - RECAINSA. Created in 2013, this organization was formed by leaders and volunteers of digital health in her region with the intention of supporting national and regional digital health strategies and generating spaces for the exchange of experiences and best practices in both the public and private sectors.

Joseline is the co-creator of several projects for women professionals in Latin America, with the objective of achieving greater participation of women in the field of digital health. She is also an expert member of the Digital Health working group of the ITU Broadband Commission and UNESCO, expert member of the Technical Committee of the Global Digital Health Index, expert member of the Campaign and Data Policy Circle at the coalition of Transform Health, and co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Small Working Group at the Digital Health & Interoperability Group.

Cofounder and managing director of Endeva, Aline Menden is an expert on business-model and system innovations that advance SDGs and achieve positive impact at scale. Her work focuses on low- and middle-income contexts, at the intersection of health and technologies on projects involving NCDs as well as primary healthcare strengthening. Since 2007, she has directed more than 50 projects with over 40 partners, including development organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and NGOs.

Aline has published extensively on topics related to inclusive business models and partnerships. She is a lead author of over 10 reports as well as over 50 in-depth case studies, with a particular focus on the health sector. A trained facilitator with experience in (online) workshop design, she has conducted over 40 multi-stakeholder workshops, trainings, design sprints, peer-to-peer exchanges, and other interactive formats.

Aline has a strong academic background, with a PhD on “Identifying Low-income Consumers as a Source of Innovation” from the TUM School of Management in Munich, Germany. She is a frequent guest lecturer at the TU Munich Business School and the TU Berlin on business models and systems change for SDGs. Aline is fluent in German (native), English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

An Ethiopian-native Canadian healthcare expert, Dr. Maraki Fikre Merid has a deep passion for the betterment of healthcare focused on women’s health and innovative models that can increase affordable, quality access to care in underserved countries. As a founding partner of CHS, a healthcare advisory firm with offices in UAE and Ethiopia, Maraki brings to DHP more than 18 years of healthcare experience, with a unique in-depth market knowledge of Ethiopia and of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Ethiopia private and public sectors. Her deep expertise in pharmaceuticals and digital health infrastructure, combined with first-hand understanding of the African education, business spaces and public-private partnerships, allows her to deliver effective advice to clients.

Bilingual in French and English, Maraki holds a PhD from the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She also holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from McGill University in Montreal. Maraki has published many articles in leading health journals and her research was highlighted in influential international reports.

An international consultant in public health, global health, and digital health, Dr. Ousmane Ly is currently a Digital Health Expert and Research Professional at the Interdisciplinary Center for International Health Development, CIDIS Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, at the University of Sherbrooke in Longueuil, Quebec.

Dr. Ly holds a University Certificate in Medical Informatics from the University of Geneva (Switzerland), a Diploma of Advanced Studies master’s degree in medical informatics from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), and a Diploma in Health Informatics from the University of Sherbrooke. Dr. Ly is also an Assistant Professor/Researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, where he frequently lectures.

Prof. Georges Bediang is a Cameroonian Medical Doctor who obtained a PhD in Medical Informatics and a Master of Advanced Studies in Public Health at the University of Geneva. He is currently Associate Professor in Medical Informatics at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon), where he introduced pre-graduate training in medical informatics for medical students in medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry over the last five years.

His main research areas are the appropriate use of eLearning for the training of health professionals in Africa, the use of digital health and telemedicine tools to support healthcare and decisions for health professionals in Africa, and the use of knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence-based approaches in healthcare to improve screening, diagnostic, and management of patients in resource-limited settings.

Prof. Bediang is also involved in the coordination of telemedicine and eLearning activities of the RAFT network in Cameroon and at the international level. He has helped deploy eLearning and telemedicine activities in several French-speaking countries.

Paulo Gusmão is a visionary IT entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience, primarily in health tech. As the co-founder and CEO of OTAWA Health, he has spearheaded the development of an advanced Oncology Electronic Health Record and Clinical Decision Support system (O-EHR/CDS), utilizing individual diagnostics to inform evidence-based treatments and enhance patient outcomes through Real-World Evidence studies.

Paulo is dedicated to nurturing future tech leaders as a mentor for Bridge for Billions, particularly in the Health Tech Hub Africa program. His involvement underscores a deep commitment to leveraging technology for healthcare advancements in Africa, aiming to increase access and efficiency in the region’s healthcare services.

His entrepreneurial background also includes co-founding FROTANET Tecnologia, a fintech firm specializing in solutions for the roadside cargo transportation market, and OnixCann, a platform enhancing connectivity within Brazil’s medical cannabis ecosystem. His early ventures in multimedia and interactive technologies with Studio Interativo and collaboration with IBM’s Ultimedia Team have cemented his reputation as a pioneer in integrating technology with user-centric solutions.

Paulo’s career is distinguished by a consistent theme of using technology to solve complex problems, enhance healthcare delivery, and mentor the next generation of health tech innovators. His work reflects a robust blend of technical acumen, strategic thinking, and a passion for impactful healthcare innovations.