Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday (August 19) unveiled the 'Global Initiative on Digital Health - a WHO Managed Network' on the concluding day of the G20 health ministers' meeting at Gandhinagar's Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gujarat. The initiative, launched in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, aims to coordinate efforts toward a unified global digital health strategy.
According to a PIB release, the initiative is poised to consolidate digital health evidence, enhance past and recent achievements, and promote mutual accountability for future investments. Previously, fragmented digital solutions strained healthcare workers, resulting in inefficiencies due to duplication and a lack of interoperability, Mandaviya stated.
"In keeping with India's G20 presidency, we've leveraged our experience in developing a national digital health architecture. Through deliberate interoperability, the initiative converges digital health interventions for stronger health systems," Mandaviya said, as per the statement.
Mandaviya urged G20 participants to work together to build a comprehensive digital health ecosystem through the 'Global Initiative on Digital Health - a WHO Managed Network'. He recalled how, at the 71st World Health Assembly the statement saidin 2018, India spearheaded the Digital Health resolution, spurring global action, the statement said.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised the 'Global Initiative on Digital Health' as a driving force in the advancement of equitable healthcare. "Through artificial intelligence and ethical considerations, we aim to incorporate tools that leave no one behind," Dr Tedros said, emphasising WHO's commitment to technological health transformations, according to a PTI report.
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The initiative will function as a WHO Managed Network, addressing issues such as duplication of efforts and a product-centric approach to digital health, according to the statement. It intends to support technical assistance for standards-based, interoperable systems in accordance with the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025. The Global Strategy was endorsed in 2020, presenting a roadmap towards digital health transformation and aligning with more than 70% of the Global Strategy's proposed actions, the PIB release said.
Mandaviya additionally introduced the World Bank's 'Digital in Health – Unlocking Value for Everyone' flagship report, intended to guide countries across diverse stages of digital implementation in healthcare, transcending digital maturity and fiscal constraints.