Context

India in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) is going to launch the ‘Global Initiative on Digital Health’ as part of the ongoing G-20 summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.                                                                           

About the initiative:

• It is first-of-its-kind global initiate aimed at data converge, interface of health platforms and investments in the digital health space around the globe.
• The G20 summit is also working on bringing in the crucial interim Medical Countermeasure (MCM) — which is a ‘network of networks approach’ in collaboration with WHO.
• This global digital platform will include an investment tracker, an ask tracker and a library of existing digital health platforms.
• The initiative has also found funding from global partners.
• The global platform for data sharing will offer no data about its users but will share analyses and work at inter operational ability of data.
• Other initiatives in similar direction:
  • The summit is also working at garnering support for setting up a Climate and Health Initiative (CHI) in India, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank and the launch of patient and healthcare workforce mobility portal.
  • It will explore the role of traditional complimentary and integrative medicine in addressing pressing health challenges and driving progress in global health and sustainable development.

Importance of Digital Health:

• Digital health has the potential to prevent disease and lower healthcare costs, while helping patients monitor and manage chronic conditions.
• It can also tailor medicine for individual patients.
• Healthcare providers also can benefit from advances in digital health.
• Digital tools give healthcare providers an extensive view of patient health by significantly increasing access to health data and giving patients greater control over their health.
• The result is increased efficiency and improved medical outcomes.