I was honoured to participate in the 7th Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference in New Delhi, India, at the invitation of the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation (CNMF) and the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI). The conference brought together nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals from different countries and provided an important platform for sharing experiences, innovations and ideas for strengthening health systems.
Presenting Afyalitics: A Digital Health Platform for NCD Assessment
I had the opportunity to present “Afyalitics: A Digital Health Platform for Non-Communicable Disease Assessment in Africa.” Afyalitics is a digital health platform that I founded to explore how technology can support NCD risk assessment and prevention.
The platform is still a work in progress, but its underlying vision is to make it easier for individuals to assess exposure to important NCD risk factors and receive information that can encourage earlier action. NCDs remain a major public health challenge across Africa, and digital technologies provide an opportunity to complement existing prevention approaches.
During my presentation, I highlighted how Afyalitics could potentially augment the work of healthcare providers, including nurses, rather than replace them. Digital tools can support healthcare professionals by providing additional information, encouraging risk assessment and helping individuals become more engaged in their own health.
What Does Digital Health Mean for Nursing?
An important part of my presentation was the implication of digital health for nursing and the wider healthcare workforce.
As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, nurses and other healthcare professionals should not simply be users of technologies developed by others. They should also be part of conversations about how these technologies are designed, implemented and evaluated.
I encouraged the nurses and healthcare professionals attending the conference to embrace digital health as an emerging component of healthcare practice. The future of healthcare will require professionals who understand both the human dimensions of care and the opportunities presented by technology.
Moderating an International Session
My participation in the conference extended beyond being a speaker. I was also privileged to moderate a session featuring presenters from the United Kingdom and India.
The first presentation, “Career Pathways and Nurse Retention: An Inner London Hospital Investigation,” explored issues affecting nursing careers and retention within an inner London hospital context. The second presentation focused on work-life balance and job outcomes among healthcare professionals.
Moderating the session gave me a valuable opportunity to engage with research and experiences from different health systems while facilitating a discussion among international participants. It was also a personal learning experience and an opportunity to further develop my experience moderating at an international conference.
Gratitude
I am grateful to Jill, the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation and the Trained Nurses Association of India for the honour of inviting me to participate, present and moderate at the conference.
I am equally grateful for the many wonderful people I met and the connections I made during my time in New Delhi. These interactions reinforced for me the importance of creating spaces where public health, healthcare practice, technology and research can come together.
I leave the conference with renewed motivation to continue exploring how digital innovation can strengthen NCD prevention and support healthcare professionals across Africa.
The journey with Afyalitics continues.
