ABSTRACT:
Telehealth has become an important pathway for expanding access to essential health services across sub-Saharan Africa, these health systems face persistent barriers including provider shortages, geographic constraints, and infrastructural inequities. However, telehealth adoption is fundamentally dependent on the strength of a country’s digital ecosystem. This study conducted a comparative analysis of telehealth readiness in Nigeria and Kenya by examining key broadband indicators and their relationship with Telehealth Readiness Index (TRI). The goal was to understand what shapes equitable access to telehealth and to highlight systemic disparities that may deepen digital health divide. A secondary data analysis was performed using International Telecommunication Union(ITU) broadband indicators (2018 - 2022) merged with available Telehealth Readiness Index values for Nigeria and Kenya. Four variables central to telehealth adoption (active mobile-broadband subscriptions, data-only broadband subscriptions, household internet access, and mobile-cellular penetration) were extracted and normalized for comparability. Correlation analysis was conducted to assess associations between these indicators and TRI. Python was used for all data processing and visualization. Kenya demonstrated stronger normalized performance in three of four digital readiness indicators, including active mobile broadband (0.568 vs 0.391), data-only broadband (0.458 vs 0.063), and mobile-cellular subscriptions (0.078 vs 0.047). Household Internet access was nearly identical across the two countries. TRI showed a positive correlation (r=1.0) with data-only broadband subscriptions and a negative correlation (r= –1.0) with active broadband and mobile-cellular subscriptions, underscoring the centrality of broadband quality and usage patterns in shaping telehealth readiness. The findings indicate that Kenya possesses a more enabling digital environment for telehealth compared to Nigeria, particularly in mobile-broadband capacity and data-driven connectivity. Nigeria’s lower normalized readiness suggests a need for strategic investment in broadband quality, affordability, and coverage to prevent widening inequities in digital health access. Strengthening digital infrastructure remains essential for achieving equitable telehealth adoption across both countries.