Mandaviya, Tedros launch ‘Global Initiative on Digital Health’ to support healthcare

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organisation (WHO), at the event along with other dignitaries

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya along with Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organisation (WHO), on August 19 launched ‘Global Initiative on Digital Health’ (GIDH) aimed to improve global healthcare through integration of digital technologies.

The new GIDH initiative (pronounced “guide” for short) will operate as a WHO-managed network and platform to support the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025.

The new Global Initiative on Digital Health is one of the key deliverables of India’s G20 Presidency.

“Today is a momentous day in the history of the G20 Health Working Group wherein G20 countries not only identified a priority for its relevance but collectively worked towards its launch,” Mandaviya said.

The health minister said India in its G20 presidency leveraged its experience on developing a national digital health architecture through the convergence of digital health interventions aimed at health systems strengthening through interoperability by design.

Tedros said WHO is committed to working with countries to strengthen their capacities and to improve access to quality-assured digital solutions for a healthier future.

“We thank the G20 countries and the India G20 Presidency for recognizing WHO’s unique role and strengths in this area and supporting the establishment of the new GIDH network,” he added.

The GIDH aims to bring countries and partners together to achieve measurable outcomes by developing clear priority-driven investment plans for digital health transformation along with enhanced technical and financial support to the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025.

The WHO further in a release said that the partner countries have announced substantial commitments in cash and kind from multiple stakeholders to support the launch of this new initiative.