Medical students
Move beyond theory and learn how to define, test and communicate a healthcare solution.
Zanzibar · October 10–11, 2026
Health Innovation
Summit 2026
A convergence of emerging medical minds, technology builders, researchers and health leaders—moving bold ideas toward practical, equitable impact.
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More than a convention
Where a healthcare problem becomes a possibility.
The Health Innovation Summit is a working gathering for people who refuse to accept that today’s care challenges must define tomorrow’s outcomes. Across two focused days, participants learn to recognise meaningful problems, test assumptions, connect with mentors and build a route from insight to impact.
“Healthcare changes when the people closest to its challenges are equipped to create.”
A summit rooted in Zanzibar, connected to East Africa and open to ideas with the potential to travel far beyond the island.
02days of collaboration
05focused innovation forums
01shared health ecosystem
∞possibilities for impact
The programme
Five pathways from insight to impact.
Choose a forum to see how each conversation helps participants progress from a real health need toward an ethical, viable response.
Current focus
From Healthcare Problems to Innovation Opportunities
Idea generation & problem identification
Learn to observe care journeys, frame unmet needs and turn everyday clinical frustrations into clear innovation challenges worth solving.
View forum detailsWho belongs in the room
One health ecosystem. Many perspectives.
Allied health professionals
Bring frontline insight into conversations about better workflows, access and patient experience.
Technology innovators
Apply digital tools to real health priorities with clinical, ethical and policy context.
Academicians & researchers
Connect evidence, mentorship and validation to emerging ideas and talented teams.
Policy & health leaders
Help promising innovations navigate systems, standards and pathways to adoption.
Partners & investors
Discover emerging talent and scalable health solutions grounded in East African realities.
Summit leadership
The people behind the summit.
Guided by leaders in health policy and innovation, the summit brings together government, global partners and emerging innovators around one shared goal.
Summit Convener
Dr. Zeyana Hamid
- Vice Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Health and HIV/AIDS
- Member of Parliament, Special Seats – Higher Learning Institutions, Zanzibar
- Member of the IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) Delegation
Organizing Committee Chairperson
Kelvin Peter Steven
- Leads the Health Innovation Summit organizing committee
- Coordinates partners, programme and innovator experience
Speakers & judges
The people guiding the conversation.
Our programme will bring together experienced clinicians, researchers, founders, policy leaders and innovation mentors who understand both the ambition and the practical realities of healthcare transformation.
Speakers and judges to be announced soon
Want to contribute expertise?
We welcome mentors, reviewers, judges and speakers who can help emerging innovators ask better questions and build responsibly.
Start a conversationPartnerships
Help shape the future of digital health in East Africa.
Partner with the Health Innovation Summit to mentor emerging talent, showcase scalable health technologies and drive sustainable healthcare transformation. Together, we can create a stronger bridge between promising ideas and the systems, expertise and support needed to make them real.
- Mentor emerging healthcare talent
- Showcase responsible health technologies
- Support practical innovation pathways
- Build relationships across the ecosystem
Questions, answered
Before you join us.
Need something not covered here? The summit team is ready to help.
Who is the summit for?
The summit welcomes medical and allied health students, clinicians, researchers, innovators, academicians, policy leaders, funders and organisations committed to better healthcare.
Can I submit an early-stage idea?
Yes. Innovation submissions can begin with a clearly defined healthcare problem and a thoughtful proposed approach; a finished product is not required.
What happens across the two days?
Participants move through focused forums, practical discussions, mentorship, innovation presentations and relationship-building with people across the health ecosystem.
How can an organisation participate?
Organisations can support the summit through partnership, mentorship, judging, technical expertise, showcasing solutions or enabling promising teams to continue after the event.
October 10–11 · Zanzibar