Global Strategies for Digital Health

• 7^th April is World Health Day, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how interconnected the world is.
• The World Health Organization is seeking to bring countries together to build a fairer, healthier world for all.

How is technology being used in healthcare to improve access and health outcomes?

This blog will consider the WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health.

Advances in digital health innovation strategies in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will be highlighted.

The WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 encourages and supports member states in developing and implementing strategies for digital transformation in healthcare.

The vision of the global strategy is to improve health for everyone, everywhere by accelerating the development and adoption of accessible, affordable, scalable and sustainable digital health solutions to prevent, detect and respond to epidemics and pandemics.

Digital Innovations are being used to provide information and education on health issues and improve access to appropriate healthcare.

• Remote healthcare is expanding access to more efficient and cost-effective care
• Telehealth is increasing access to primary care and specialist doctors for people living in remote or underserved areas
• Healthcare providers are using digital technologies to increase awareness and provide information and education on health issues
• Improved access to healthcare and reliable information are increasing opportunities for prevention and early detection of diseases
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning are improving the accuracy and speed of diagnosis from imaging scans
• Remote monitoring using home-based or wearable devices are enabling timely intervention for chronic diseases
• Improved communication and personalised care are empowering patients to be pro-active in managing their own health
• Collection and sharing of data are enabling more effective allocation of resources as well as research into disease trends and new treatments

Highlight on the GCC

Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia  are in the process of implementing ambitious government-led digital health strategies, responding to the increased demand of tech-savvy populations for consumer-centric services.

The United Arab Emirates

The Ministry of Health and Prevention’s Innovation Strategy 2019-2021, in line with the National Innovation Strategy and vision to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world, is promoting digitisation for new models of healthcare.

Local and international research partnerships have been established to find solutions to current and future disease threats. Government policies encourage public-private collaboration to improve community health outcomes.

In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the region’s first Health Information Exchange platform will safely and securely connect all public and private healthcare providers.

Malaffi (Arabic for ‘my file’) will enable secure clinical data exchange to facilitate informed clinical decisioning making, enhanced coordination of care, reducing unnecessary duplication of tests and procedures. This will reduce the risk of medical error and improve patient safety and experience.

Malaffi will also provide invaluable population health information to the Department of Health to monitor the quality of care, help plan health awareness and prevention programs and identify public health risks, for a healthier Abu Dhabi.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Innovation in digital health is a  key part of the Kingdom’s strategic 2030 Vision. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health is creating an integrated, digitally enabled healthcare system which will expand primary care services, empower healthcare seekers and emphasise prevention.

The expansion of the healthcare sector is aided by the introduction of compulsory health insurance and public-private partnerships. Unified digital patient records, appointment scheduling platforms and expansion of telehealth will help to integrate and streamline care provision.

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