A total of 75 innovators, including students, healthcare professionals, and technology developers from Ghana and neighbouring Togo, have gathered in Accra for the Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) Hackathon 2026, aimed at designing artificial intelligence-driven solutions to strengthen healthcare delivery.
The two-day event, organised by the University of Ghana Business School Innovation Hub, brings together 17 teams tasked with addressing key challenges in brain and mental health, health service delivery, and access to care.
Participants are also working under an open innovation track that allows for broader, flexible solutions across the health system.
Held under the theme “Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence,” the hackathon forms part of a growing global effort to use digital innovation to transform healthcare systems and improve service delivery.
Programme Lead at the UGBS Innovation Hub, Sylvia Nyarko, described the hackathon as a fast-paced innovation platform designed to generate practical solutions within a short timeframe.
She likened the process to a “speed date” for innovation, where teams rapidly co-create solutions to challenges such as data management, medication systems, and clinical operations.
According to her, selected teams from the Ghana edition will progress to the global stage, where they will refine prototypes and develop scalable ventures.
She added that organisers are working closely with key institutions, including the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), and the National Health Insurance Authority, to ensure promising solutions can be integrated into the national health system.
Deputy Director of ICT at the GHS, Hammond Nii Sarkwah, said the hackathon offers an opportunity to identify young innovators capable of developing digital tools to reduce inequalities in healthcare access.
He emphasised the need for solutions that address challenges such as poor connectivity, unreliable power supply, and low digital literacy, particularly in rural communities.
He encouraged participants to design user-friendly systems that incorporate audio, video, and local languages, while ensuring offline functionality and compatibility with existing platforms.
Providing a global perspective, Professor Rifat Atun noted that the initiative has expanded significantly since its launch in 2020.
He revealed that the 2026 edition will engage 12,000 innovators across 36 countries and more than 50 innovation hubs, targeting the development of 2,500 AI-enabled health solutions.
From these, 120 teams will enter incubation, with further mentoring and venture development, before 20 finalists are selected to present to global investors.
He said previous editions have already produced successful ventures that secured funding and expanded across multiple countries, underscoring the hackathon’s growing global impact.
The event highlights Ghana’s increasing role in global health innovation efforts, particularly in leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen health systems and improve patient outcomes.
