G20 Summit: India and WHO to launch Global Initiative on Digital Health today

India, along with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will launch the Global Initiative on Digital Health today i.e. on 19 August as part of the on going G20 summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The G20 Health Ministers’ meeting under G20 India Presidency is being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 17-19 August. Earlier on Friday, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO praised India for advancing health coverage and schemes. 

This framework aims to converge the global efforts for digital health and scale up digital solutions with use of cutting-edge technologies.

As per the health Ministry's statement, "In partnership with the WHO, the Global Initiative on Digital Health has been established, fostering collaboration among nations and organizations to realize this transformative vision.”

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Highlighting the significance of the Global Initiative on Digital Health, Dr. Ghebreyesus said, “Digital technology can transform health locally and globally, and the Global Initiative on Digital Health to be launched under India’s G20 Presidency, will support the WHO Strategy on Digital Health.”

This important initiative will support the WHO global strategy on digital health and amplify other initiatives including the WHO global digital health certification network,” he said.

Earlier on 18 August, PM Modi stressed that digital solutions and innovations are useful means to make efforts "equitable and inclusive." 

He stated that India's national platform, e-Sanjeevani, facilitated 140 million telehealth consultations to date. He also noted that India's COWIN platform has facilitated the largest vaccination drive in human history.

"Digital solutions and innovations are a useful means to make our efforts equitable and inclusive. Patients from far and wide can receive quality care through tele-medicine. India's national platform, e-Sanjeevani, has facilitated 140 million tele-health consultations to date. India's COWIN platform successfully facilitated the largest vaccination drive in human history. It managed the delivery of more than 2.4 billion vaccine doses, and real-time availability of globally verifiable vaccination certificates," PM Modi said.

Speaking on Global Initiative on Digital Health, PM Modi said, “The Global Initiative on Digital Health will bring together various digital health initiatives on a common platform. Let us open our innovations for public good. Let us avoid duplication of funding. Let us facilitate equitable availability of technology. This initiative will allow countries in the Global South to close the gap in health-care delivery. It will take us one step closer to our goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage.”

Earlier in March, while addressing the Global Conference on Digital Health organised as a co-branded event under India’s G20 Presidency organised by WHO – South-East Asia Region, Mansukh Mandaviya, union health minister had said that it is the time to move from ‘Silos to Systems’ with collaboration of all countries for enhanced coverage and quality of healthcare services." 

Moreover, today, a Joint Finance–Health Ministers’ Meeting will also be held, as a focus event of the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting. Meanwhile, India assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2022 and is currently part of the G20 Troika comprising Indonesia, India and Brazil.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)