111: We Empower! with Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg - Episode 111111: We Empower! with Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg - Episode 111
UK Health Radio Podcast
Patrick Owor Ikongha shares how digital education for young Africans can close opportunity gaps, while Thao Nguyen explains why gender-aware medical data is crucial for fair, precise healthcare. Host Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg ties their stories together with practical questions about sustainable change and everyday wellbeing.
51:44•15 Aug 2026
Building People, Not Just Tech: Gendered Health Data and Africa’s Digital Future
Episode Overview
- Passing skills on so the next generation can teach others is presented as the core of sustainable support.
- Free digital education for children in underserved Nigerian communities is described as key to closing the digital divide.
- Patrick stresses that technology should focus on building people and opportunities, not just products.
- Thao explains that most medical evidence hides sex, age and regional details, making fair and precise treatment difficult for both humans and ai.
- Thao argues that regulators and pharma need to recognise the economic case for sex-specific dosing and evidence if patient outcomes are to improve.
“Technology is not only about building software, it is about building people, unlocking potential and creating lasting impact.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Here, the focus widens beyond alcohol to look at how tech, data and community spirit can shift health and opportunity for everyone. Hosted by Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, this episode brings together Nigerian tech leader Patrick Owor Ikongha and Equal Care founder Thao (Thao) Nguyen for a fast-paced hour that blends personal stories with big-picture questions about fairness in health and education.
Patrick talks about growing up in Nigeria, being “the sum total of my parts”, and why teaching children digital skills in underserved communities matters so much. His line, “Technology is not only about building software, it is about building people,” says a lot about his ethos. He shares how free tech training can shrink the digital divide and why young Africans, with a median age of 18, could reshape the global digital economy. Thao shifts the spotlight to healthcare.
She explains how Equal Care is building “evidence infrastructure” so medical research actually reflects sex, gender, age and ethnicity, instead of treating everyone as a generic patient. Her father’s near-fatal misdiagnosis drives her mission; she recalls a London doctor who guessed his condition “in 10 seconds” after German doctors had struggled for weeks. She also talks frankly about side effects from equal-dose vaccines for very different bodies and argues for sex-specific dosing backed by better data.
The tone stays warm and conversational, with Annabel asking practical questions about sustainable change, everyday health habits and how ai can support doctors rather than replace them. If you’re interested in how fairer data and digital education can support long-term recovery, resilience and healthier futures, this one might get you thinking about your own role in creating change. So, where could your skills or story lift someone else up today?
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