Press Release: Global Digital Health Monitor Enables Data-Driven Investments in Digital Health
Geneva, Switzerland – The Global Digital Health Index (GDHI) launched its Version 2.0 at the World Health Assembly, unveiling the new and improved Global Digital Health Monitor (GDHM).
Backed by major global health actors, GDHM now monitors digital health progress at the country, regional, and global levels. The Monitor enables countries and regions to benchmark and track their digital health maturity over time, advocate for resources, identify countries that are performing well to facilitate cross-country learning, and support private sector entrepreneurs and investors to strategically prioritize new market entry and strategies. New features also include dynamic visualizations by region and within countries for year-on-year monitoring.
“Zambia used the Monitor to develop our national digital health strategy, which provided a clear baseline for the current state and a roadmap for areas of investment into the future. This enabled us to focus our resources on the areas that require the most attention, ultimately driving impactful progress in healthcare,” said Innocent Chiboma, Principal ICT Officer at the Zambian Ministry of Health.
Over 65 countries have participated in the platform to date in 2023, representing more than 2.5 billion people globally. Development agencies such as The Global Fund and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance are also using the platform to inform and monitor their investments in digital health.
“GDHM stimulates the digital transformation of health by helping countries benchmark and advocate for greater investment in the known enablers for scale and sustainability of digital health interventions. Nearly 35% of all countries in the world have completed the Monitor in 2023, providing the most comprehensive picture of the state of digital health to-date,” said Dr. Patricia Mechael, the Co-Founder & Policy Lead of HealthEnabled.
Health systems throughout the world are increasingly engaging in digital health transformation initiatives to increase access to and quality of care, as well as shape more forward-looking policies to promote responsible AI, mitigate the growing digital divide, and facilitate the achievement of universal health coverage. This requires significant investment in digital health interventions and support to achieve overall scale and sustainability for these investments. As the platform continues to expand, GDHM represents an innovative global public good that is reshaping how countries measure progress and prioritize investment in digital health.
“The phrase “what cannot be measured cannot be improved” is appropriate, and GDHM provides a valuable measure,” said Dr. Alexei Carrillo, Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Health.
Photo courtesy of Bill Oxford.
Source: Global Digital Health Monitor (link opens in a new window)
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