New era: AI and digital technologies for sustainable health systems

By IFMPA

On the margins of the 76th World Health Assembly, HYPER, IPSF, and GHFutures2030 will partner to bring together stakeholders actively working in digital health to discuss how the use of big data, AI, and digital technologies not only strengthen sustainable health systems but also foster health literacy, improving general health outcomes and tackling health disparities for sustainable health and health systems.

Across the world, countries are racing to harness digital technologies and data to improve their health systems. However, for most countries, the potential of digitalization to advance health and the SDGs is not being realized because of digital divides, power imbalances within the digital health ecosystem, and persistent gender and other societal inequalities. At the same time, digital health plays a role in bridging health equity gaps by improving accessibility and efficiency of healthcare services. For example, telehealth services and wearable devices have enabled providers to manage care during the pandemic, AI has created opportunities to pioneer therapies and vaccines, and big data has helped reduce medical errors and aid in preventive care.

With a fast-growing population of 1.8 billion, young people are digital natives, stepping into careers in health and applying new technologies that are contributing to digital health transformation around the world. As technologies get closer to patients, complex solutions demand healthcare professionals become ambassadors of digital health tools that reflect the health futures they want: those that are more equitable and designed for impact.

For instance, primary health care workers, including pharmacists, are uniquely positioned in bringing digital health solutions to all patients. Young people are also joining the innovative pharmaceutical industry workforce, which is at the forefront of developing new solutions to create sustainable health systems using digital health in disease treatment and prevention, contributing to patient well-being and health systems around the world. As it transitions into a Digital Transformations for Health Lab, Governing Health Futures (GHFutures 2030) is working with partners to implement the Lancet and Financial Times Commission’s recommendations for value-based and youth-centred digital transformations of health at global and national levels.

Join us for this captivating conversation on how young leaders in the healthcare sector are thinking through and applying digital technologies, data, and AI to transform health systems and accelerate our collective pursuit of universal health coverage.