- The Africa Health Collaborative’s AfyaFest evolves into the Health Innovation Festival
- The 2026 edition will take place in Accra, Ghana, co-hosted by Ashesi University and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
The future of healthcare in Africa will be shaped by young innovators, bold partnerships, and locally driven solutions — and the Health Innovation Festival (HIFest 2026) – formerly AfyaFest, aims to bring all three together in one dynamic continental gathering.
This flagship innovation event of the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) will take place in Accra, Ghana, from June 4-6, 2026.
Co-hosted by two of Ghana’s leading universities — Ashesi University and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) — this year’s festival will convene over 100 participants from multiple countries across Africa, and Canada—including Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia, and Canada. Participants will include 36 young health entrepreneurs, innovators, and students, alongside investors, researchers, mentors, and ecosystem leaders.
HIFest 2026 is built for action
Young Health entrepreneurs and innovators showcasing their health solutions
As Africa’s health and innovation ecosystems continue to evolve in response to rising healthcare demands, workforce shortages, and climate-related health risks, HIFest 2026 will spotlight and support locally driven solutions and youth-led ventures advancing healthier communities, strengthening health systems, and expanding opportunities in health.
Across three days, participants selected from AHC partner institutions will move from ideas to implementation through hands-on working sessions, coaching clinics, investor engagement, and collaboration with peers across the continent.
The festival is designed to support two groups of innovators:
- Idea-stage teams, working to transform early concepts into viable prototypes and clear business models
- Early-stage ventures, refining their solutions and strengthening pathways to market access and growth
Participants will also engage in curated learning and cultural exchanges across Ghana’s growing innovation ecosystem, providing opportunities to connect with local entrepreneurs and institutions.
Building on 2025’s success
HIFest 2026 builds on the success of AfyaFest 2025, hosted by Amref Health Africa in Nairobi, which brought together young innovators to showcase youth-led solutions for primary healthcare across Africa. The Amref-hosted event brought together nine AHC partners, benefiting 51 ventures through investor pitching, workshops, and networking. Five winning ventures received a total of CAD 25,000 in funding support. The event created a strong platform for youth-led ideas to be tested, refined, and connected to investors and health systems.
“We Are Building the Future of Health Together”
The 2025 edition focused on key health priorities, including maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, and mental health, climate and health, and global health security. Building on this foundation, the 2026 Health Innovation Festival expands its focus to emerging and high-impact areas shaping the future of healthcare across Africa. These include water, sanitation and environmental health; digital and AI-driven health solutions; maternal and child health; mental health; innovative medical devices and services; and indigenous medicine.
Together, these focus areas reflect a growing commitment to practical, locally driven, and technology-enabled solutions that respond to Africa’s most urgent health challenges.
Why you Should be Part of HIFest 2026
“[Last year’s festival was] a life-changing experience. My mentor helped me to really brainstorm deeper on the foundations of my business. He helped me understand the exact problem that we are solving at WeCure Pharmacy, and who our target market is, so that our approach is more targeted, said Dumisani Newton, Founder of WeCure Pharmacy and winner of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Category
Whether you are building your first idea, scaling a health startup, investing in innovation, or mentoring the next generation, HIFest offers a curated space to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Participants will:
- Build and refine real-world health solutions
- Learn from leading experts, founders, and ecosystem leaders
- Connect with investors and potential partners
- Join a pan-African and Canadian innovation network
- Experience Ghana’s culture, innovation ecosystem, and hospitality
The Health Innovation Festival seeks to bridge the gap between the ambitions of emerging and aspiring health entrepreneurs and access to the knowledge, networks, and resources needed to grow their ideas, while providing them a platform to showcase their innovations and ideas.
Join us virtually through YouTube and LinkedIn as we shape the future of African health innovation together.
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