Medical Law Expert Delivers Keynote Address on Digital Innovation and Reproductive Justice

A Medical Law expert from the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Ms Nomfundo Mthembu, was a keynote speaker at the Unisa College of Law (CLAW) Digital Technology Conference held at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria from 24 to 26 February this year.

Mthembu delivered a compelling keynote presentation titled: ‘Digital Innovation and Governance: Advancing Reproductive Justice and Equity in Health’. The conference, themed ‘Harnessing Inclusive and Transformative Digital Technologies for Sustainable Development’, provided a platform to discuss the regulatory, ethical and governance implications of emerging digital technologies. Appearing alongside distinguished academics, policymakers, and legal practitioners from South Africa and across the wider African continent, Mthembu delivered a keynote talk that addressed the potential of telemedicine and digital health technologies to improve access to reproductive healthcare in rural and underserved communities.

Mthembu highlighted the opportunities digital innovation presents, while cautioning against technological optimism divorced from structural realities. She emphasised persistent digital inequities such as poor connectivity, high data costs, inadequate infrastructure and limited digital literacy, which continue to exclude vulnerable populations from accessing healthcare effectively.

She further framed the digital divide as not just a technological challenge but also as a governance and policy failure. Drawing on her expertise on serving on governance structures such as the Technical Advisory Panel of the Office of the Health Standards Compliance and the Health Ombud, a Board Member of the Hillcrest Advice Bureau and Bursary Fund, and the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, Mthembu cautioned that “without targeted reform, infrastructure investment, and accountability mechanisms, digital technologies risk entrenching existing health disparities rather than reducing them.”

Her address also highlighted the importance of data governance and compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to protect sensitive patient information and maintain public trust in digital health systems. Mthembu’s participation strengthened UKZN’s profile in national academic discourse, demonstrating the University’s commitment to research excellence, policy influence, and engagement on critical societal issues.

Mthembu called for interdisciplinary collaboration across law, policy, technology and healthcare sectors to ensure that digital health innovation serves as a tool for justice and equity. Her contribution not only advanced scholarly dialogue on digital health and reproductive justice but also reinforced UKZN’s leadership in addressing pressing legal, ethical, and health governance challenges in South Africa.

Words: NdabaOnline

Photograph: Supplied