Thank you for your participation in this WHA78 side event on the Future of Digital Health! This event was co-hosted by The Netherlands and India, co-sponsored by Germany and Brazil, and in collaboration with Indonesia and the World Health Organization.
How you can take action
Please consider joining these global collaboration initiatives on digital health transformation:
- For national government authorities (ministries and national agencies), join the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP). This is an informal collaboration of 41 national digital health authorities and the WHO, that work together to share best practices and align policies on cybersecurity, interoperability, digital literacy, patient engagement, data governance, artificial intelligence for health, and more. The GDHP meets twice a year at an in-person Summit, the workstreams are monthly or biweekly online meetings. Everything is organised by member states, for member states. More information at https://gdhp.health.
- For anyone working in global digital health transformation, join the Global Initiative for Digital Health (GIHD, or guide). This G20 network-of-networks aims to foster improved alignment in the digital health sector, providing governments and partners tools, building blocks, and platforms needed for sustainable health system digitalization. The GIDH is supported by WHO.
- We need Member States to support the alignment of global terminology and classification standards ICD-11 and SNOMED CT. WHO and SNOMED International announced their intent to work together to harmonize these important digital tools. This collaboration will enable Member States to share health information across health systems and borders, without losing meaning and purpose. This makes this collaboration a foundational building block for any digital health transformation. Please reach out to Herko Coomans of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport of The Netherlands at h.coomans@minvws.nl if you are interested in participating, either by providing strategic guidance and/or by providing expertise.
How you can learn more about digital health
Want to learn more about global digital health? Here is a list of documents and other resources you can use.
On Digital Public Infrastructure
- OECD work on digital public infrastructure for digital governments
- United Nations Development Programme – Digital Public Infrastructures
- ITU and WHO collaboration to build a Digital Information Infrastructure for Healthcare (Infostructure)
- DigitalSquare: Digital Public Infrastructure for Health: Charting a path to implementation in LMIC health systems
- Digital Investment Principles.
- Global Digital Compact (UN).
On the WHO Global Strategy for Digital Health
- The WHO Global Strategy for Digital Health
- The WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network GDHCN
- EU Digital COVID Certificate
- WHO working with Saudi Arabia to expand the Hajj Health Card initiative
- Pan-American Highway for Digital Health
On national and regional legislation on health data governance and digital health
- Centralized repository of health planning and policy documents as well as related materials. (WHO)
- The Netherlands Law for electronic exchange of data in healthcare (Wegiz).
- India Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act of 2018 (DISHA).
- Brazil national digital health legislation.
- Germany Act to Improve Healthcare Provision through Digitalisation and Innovation (Digital Healthcare Act – DVG) 2019.
- European Health Data Space Regulation (EHDS).
On national strategies for digital health
- National Vision and Strategy for health data availability The Netherlands.
- National Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission India.
- Brazil National Digital Health Strategy 2020-2028.
- Indonesia Blueprint for Digital Health Transformation Strategy.
- OECD/GDHP Digital Health Policy Repository.
- Global Digital Health Monitor (WHO).
On global standards for health data
- WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC).
- SNOMED Clinical Terminology.
- Joint Initiative Council for Global Health Informatics Standardization.
- International Patient Summary (IPS).
- ISO/TC 215 workgroup on health informatics.
- Health Level 7 (HL7).
- Integrating the Health Enterprise (IHE).
- OpenEHR.
- Global Digital Health Partnership Interoperability Workstream.
- WHO SMART Guidelines.