This month the World Health Organization (WHO) will adopt the European Union’s (EU) digital Covid-19 framework in order to create a new global system aimed at mobility in reaction to, and safeguarding against, potential health dangers such as pandemics. 

Why it’s notable:

• This is only the first step towards the WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) aimed at developing a range of digital health products “to deliver better health for all”. This initiative was developed as a direct response to realisations during the pandemic that there is a significant need for a global mechanism to support bilateral exchange and verification of health information. Interoperability within and between different geographies is key to the success of the GDHCN.

• The WHO has stated that potential applications of the resulting infrastructure are numerous and include the verification of prescriptions across borders, the International Patient Summary and certification of public health professionals globally through the WHO academy. As an initial starting point, the WHO and EU will work together to ensure that the current EU digital certificates, which connect 80 countries and territories, continue to function effectively so that they can be further developed and broadened in scope.

Industry implications:

• Interoperability has been noted as a significant barrier to both the large-scale roll out of digital health globally, and also to a generally elevated level of care wherein patient information and medical expertise can flow freely within and between regions. This initiative is a move in the right direction, adding building blocks towards a more connected global health infrastructure. 

• Aside from the WHO’s GDHCN initiative, the EU has their own digital action plan within their Global Health Strategy that lays out key priorities for dealing with global health including strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage. Digital health will be a key lever in achieving these priorities; technology is the bridge that connects us globally. The flow of healthcare information facilitated by the likes of remote patient monitoring technologies, electronic health records and international data exchange systems will be pivotal in realising these goals.