India as voice of Global South committed to minimizing digital health divide: Niti Aayog's VK Paul at G20 meet

NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul on Monday said India as the voice of Global South is committed to minimizing the digital health divide by promoting digital solutions and innovation to aid universal health coveragePaul was delivering the keynote address at the session on lsquoDigital Health Innovations and Solutions to Aid Universal Health Coverage and Improve Healthcare Service Deliveryrsquo on the second day of the 3rd Health Working Group of G20 India at Hyderabad TelanganaShining a spotlight on Indiarsquos leadership in the arena of digital health Dr Paul while reiterating a quote of the Prime Minister of Digital India where he stated ldquoI dream of a digital India with quality healthcare is accessible right up to the remotest regions powered by ehealthcarerdquo he added that deliberations in the health working groups have led us to the belief that digital technologies can play a very critical role in achieving universal health coverage and combating health emergenciesElaborating further Dr Paul stated ldquoDigital Health enables universal health coverage through access to health care services by people regardless of their location and socioeconomic status through initiatives such as telemedicine and mobile application It also facilitates universal health coverage through seamless exchange of health information amongst providers systems patients policymakers and so on through multiple systemsrdquo Underscoring the impact of digital initiatives Dr Paul cited the example of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission stating ldquoit brings together state government union government laboratories insurance providers health tech companies doctors NGOs program managers other stakeholders keeping the citizens at the centre of this endeavorrdquoUnderlining the significance of digital health Dr Paul urged all to become a part of the global revolution in digital health for universal health coverage He stressed ldquolet us envision a world where a comprehensive package of digital health tools and services are accessible to all where digital health is for all by 2035rdquoThe other important speakers for the session included Dr Christopher Elias President Global Development Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr Alain Labrique Director Department of Digital Health amp Innovation WHOAlso readWorld Environment Day India recycled about 30 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging says PM ModiDr Christopher Elias commended the inclusion of Digital Health as a priority in the G20 Presidency and said ldquoinclusivity equity and affordability are key principles for this priority He further said ldquoTechnology in particular digital technology has a critical enabling role to play in accelerating the progress towards universal health coverage and improving health service delivery The world has witnessed the significant momentum of digital health and the development of digital health tools that lower and middleincome countries have experienced over the last decade and especially due to the onset of the recent Covid pandemicrdquoSpeaking on the occasion Dr Alain Labrique stated ldquoWhen we talk about digital health we are talking about strengthening primary health care systems improving universal health coverage and timely and relevant data for decision making and resource allocation Most important we are talking about equity so that no one get left behind Digital health is a proven pathway to achieve universal health goalsrdquoUnderscoring the relevance and importance of digital health he said that the pandemic has galvanized many governments to move from digital experimentation to digital transformation The global initiative on digital health levels the playing field optimizing investments democratizing access to the building blocks and improving the responsiveness that the country needs Emphasizing that digitalization of global health systems in inevitable Underlining the ramifications of that he said ldquowhether it happens in a way that ensures quality efficiency equity and inclusion will depend on we as a group move togetherrdquo Highlighting the role of G20 Presidency he said ldquoWe must as a group invest strategically This will enable cross border exchange of credential health information now available to all member statesrdquoMembers of the Troika from Indonesia and Brazil lauded Digital Health as a powerful tool in universal axis for health and stated digital health represents transformative breakthrough enabling comprehensive and accessible health care They recommended collaboration with member countries and key stakeholders and urged participation of international organization in supporting and guiding countries for adapting to norms of global digital health network They emphasized on fostering the development of digital infrastructure in relevant areas promote digital literacy and education and ensure accessibility of digital health solution for all