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Why medical travel in the search for cure should begin and end in Africa
With its excellent air connectivity, liberal visa regime, political stability, and growing healthcare capacity, Kenya is poised to become the continent’s medical hub in line with Vision 2030, which identifies healthcare excellence and innovation as key national priorities.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Africans travel thousands of miles away to India, the Middle East, or Europe in search of medical care.
The African Export-Import Bank estimates that as much as $7 billion leaves the continent annually for medical treatment abroad. Each year, an estimated 300,000 Africans travel to India alone for healthcare.
This is not just a loss of revenue, it is a loss of trust, of opportunity, and of dignity for the continent. It reflects the deep-seated belief that quality healthcare can only be found elsewhere.
For decades, far too many Africans have looked beyond the continent when illness strikes, not because they want to, but because they often feel they have no choice. This is because, in many African countries, there are not enough specialists or advanced facilities to handle complex conditions such as cancer, cardiac disease, or organ transplants.
Even where expertise exists, the supporting technology or infrastructure may not.
Patients often face uncertainty, not knowing whether the hospital they visit will meet international standards for safety, infection control, or treatment outcomes. This inconsistency erodes confidence and pushes those who can afford it to seek treatment abroad.
Despite Africa’s geographic closeness, there are challenges with connectivity between countries.
Visa restrictions, lack of referral systems, and poor air connectivity make it easier for patients in some countries to fly to Asia or Europe than to fellow African countries.
Additionally, many believe treatment abroad is cheaper, yet when airfare, accommodation, and post-treatment care are factored in, that perception often proves false. Still, the belief persists because local healthcare systems have not done enough to demonstrate transparency, trust, and world-class outcomes.
Behind these challenges lies a common truth: patients are not just seeking treatment, they are seeking trust. And trust is built when patients see consistent quality, international standards, and compassionate care close to home.
When Africans receive care closer to home, it means shorter travel, more family support, and recovery in familiar surroundings.
It also means healing within one’s own culture and restoring confidence in the excellence of African healthcare. At the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, we are determined to change that narrative.
As a teaching hospital, we not only treating patients, but also training the next generation of doctors, nurses, and specialists. Our team of over 180 full-time consultants continues to grow, alongside regional residency and fellowship programmes that equip African professionals with the expertise to serve African patients.
Qualified doctors and nurses will travel abroad to seek better professional opportunities, which many call brain drain, our goal is to ensure that African healthcare talent remains on the continent and more importantly we continuously invest in building local capacity.
By working together, we can ensure that the next generation of African patients no longer have to look beyond the continent for the care they deserve.
Partnerships like the one with Kenya Airways make that possible, keeping skill, trust, and transformation rooted in Africa. They are a statement of belief that Africa’s future in healthcare is bright, self-reliant, and within reach.
Last week, we took a major step forward by signing a partnership with Kenya Airways (KQ) to make Kenya a regional hub for medical tourism.
Through this collaboration, patients across Africa will have access to world-class, specialised healthcare closer to home and with greater convenience.
The partnership offers pre-travel medical clearance, in-flight medical assistance, and direct ambulance transfers from the airport to the hospital. It creates a seamless medical travel experience, from a patient’s home country to their hospital bed and back, delivered with the same dignity and safety expected anywhere in the world.
As His Highness the Aga Khan, our Founding Chancellor, said during the inauguration of our Heart and Cancer Centre in 2011: “Let the day also pass when African patients think they must go to other parts of the world to find quality medical care.” That vision is becoming a reality.
Kenya is naturally positioned to lead Africa’s medical tourism revolution. With its excellent air connectivity, liberal visa regime, political stability, and growing healthcare capacity, Kenya is poised to become the continent’s medical hub in line with Vision 2030, which identifies healthcare excellence and innovation as key national priorities.
At AKUH, N, we have invested heavily in that future. From two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs and an advanced linear accelerator (LINACs) for cancer care, to AI-enabled diagnostics and a fully integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, we are at the forefront of medical technology in the region.
Importantly, in 2013, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi was the first hospital in the region to be accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) the global gold standard for healthcare quality and safety.
We are also the only hospital in Africa accredited as a Centre of Excellence for Stroke, and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa for Heart Attack care. In addition, our laboratories are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), guaranteeing internationally benchmarked diagnostic accuracy.
As a teaching hospital, we not only treating patients, but also training the next generation of doctors, nurses, and specialists. Our team of over 180 full-time consultants continues to grow, alongside regional residency and fellowship programmes that equip African professionals with the expertise to serve African patients.
Qualified doctors and nurses will travel abroad to seek better professional opportunities, which many call brain drain, our goal is to ensure that African healthcare talent remains on the continent and more importantly we continuously invest in building local capacity.
Partnerships like the one with Kenya Airways make that possible, keeping skill, trust, and transformation rooted in Africa. They are a statement of belief that Africa’s future in healthcare is bright, self-reliant, and within reach.
By working together, we can ensure that the next generation of African patients no longer have to look beyond the continent for the care they deserve.
Rashid Khalani is the Chief Executive Officer, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
