Digital Health Transformation Discussed at WSIS+20 Event

2025-07-09 digitalcare

Geneva, Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
AeHIN contributed to digital health discussions at WSIS+20, focusing on leveraging AI and Digital Public Infrastructure to improve global healthcare systems. Collaboration among WHO and ITU was emphasized.

The Role of AI in Digital Health

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, held from 7 to 11 July 2025, the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) participated in the eHealth Action Line session to discuss the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The session, co-chaired by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), explored how AI can bolster digital health systems worldwide. Participants highlighted AI’s capacity to drive significant innovations, such as enhancing disease diagnosis, patient management, and healthcare delivery, thereby aligning with WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health [1].

Digital Public Infrastructure: A New Focus

A key theme of the session was the importance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in supporting integrated health systems. It was emphasized that DPI facilitates seamless data exchange and supports the implementation of universal health coverage, an objective central to WHO’s strategy aimed at achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Hani Eskandar from ITU underscored the need for a shift towards an infrastructure mindset, away from isolated digital solutions, to promote global health system interoperability [2][3].

Leveraging Multi-Sectoral Coordination

Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran, representing AeHIN, stressed the necessity of multi-sectoral coordination in formulating national digital health strategies. Such collaboration is crucial for addressing challenges like ‘pilotitis,’ where fragmented pilot projects hinder cohesive digital health development. By fostering collaborative frameworks, countries can enhance governance and deployment of digital health tools effectively [1][4][5].

Initiatives and Strategic Plans

The Be Healthy, Be Mobile 2.0 initiative, spearheaded by the WHO, showcased the practical applications of DPI in managing non-communicable diseases through digital health wallets. This initiative aligns with global efforts to craft digital health blueprints enabling scalability and adaptability across different national contexts while ensuring interoperability. Such initiatives exemplify the strategic approaches discussed during the WSIS+20 event, stressing the necessity for integrated and inclusive digital health strategies that address regional and global health disparities [2][4][6].

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