Global health leaders adopt 'Delhi Declaration' on digital health

Global health leaders and experts on Tuesday adopted 'Delhi Declaration' on digital health for sustainable development, which called for the WHO to establish a specific mechanism to centrally coordinate digital health to assist its member states.

"This Delhi Declaration on digital health firmly aligns with our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India," Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said at the concluding session of the '4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit', here.

As part of the high-level summit, the ministers and delegation adopted the Delhi Declaration on digital health for sustainable development, which called for the WHO leadership in digital health and for it to establish a specific mechanism to centrally coordinate digital health to assist its Member States, a health ministry statement said.

Ministers and government officials from over 34 countries attended the event to discuss the impact of digital technologies on health systems and health services delivery.

The global intergovernmental meeting on digital health was hosted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP).

Choubey further stated that the declaration marks India's commitment in maximising the digital health investments to ensure universal health coverage and realise Ayushman Bharat. He further stressed on the need for sharing best practices in digital health among the countries.

Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel highlighted the initiatives of the government in digital health and said, "Engaging citizens in partnering with the government for planning and management of digital health interventions in health services delivery and improving governance are important."