WHO/Europe is all set to launch its first-ever Strategic Partners’ Initiative for Data and Digital Health (SPI-DDH) in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 13 June 2024. This newly established initiative will commence its collaborative work to identify and address gaps in data and digital health ecosystems to help to build safe, affordable and person-centred health systems in the WHO European Region.
Over 100 representatives of Member States, intergovernmental, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, WHO collaborating centres for data and digital health, the private sector, and academic institutions will join the SPI-DDH.
Addressing challenges in leveraging health data and digital health
Implementing technology and managing data within complex, diverse health systems is a significant challenge for countries in the WHO European Region. Multidisciplinary cooperation approaches such as the SPI-DDH bring together a diverse range of stakeholders and skillsets from all sectors, ensuring that the challenges are well understood, and that solutions are designed to serve the needs of all people and health workers.
The work of the SPI-DDH will be driven by Member States’ priorities and informed by the latest scientific research and evidence-based practices, aligning with WHO’s Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025 and the Regional digital health action plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030.
Key objectives include:
- identifying key challenges and actions to improve the uptake of safe and equitable digital health in countries;
- supporting collaborations that promote solidarity in digital health care;
- providing an independent “safe haven” for Member States to learn and engage with external partners in exploring data and digital health solutions; and
- developing future scenarios for health-care delivery and data usage in the European Region that can be used to inform further transformation of health systems and reprofiling of the health workforce.
On 13 February 2024, the text was amended to update the event date. The event will take place on 13 June 2024