Search

FIND statement on priority 3 at the third health working group of the G20 in India

Priority 3

Digital health innovations and solutions to aid universal health coverage and improve healthcare service delivery

Delivered by Sanjay Sarin, FIND VP, Access
Hyderabad, India, 5 June 2023

Digital diagnostic technologies play a vital role across the healthcare cascade – from screening and ensuring accurate diagnosis to informing surveillance. To ensure diagnostic data-driven decision making, it is essential to ensure standards-based interoperability between diagnostics systems. FIND collaborates with numerous stakeholders to support the use of fit-for-purpose digital solutions that can be integrated into existing workflows and that are suitable for local digital infrastructure.

The proposed global initiative for digital health can play a critical role in streamlining digital health investments and scaling-up access to standards-based digital diagnostic technologies. FIND would like to extend support to the G20 Presidency and Member States in building the pillars of the Platform as a network member and through other appropriate governance mechanisms.

The role of digital health technologies in improving diagnosis, supporting clinical decision-making and strengthening health emergency response has been acknowledged in the diagnostics Resolution adopted at the World Health Assembly last month. Thus, it would be critical to ensure that digital health is embedded in the design of diagnostic systems. We call upon G20 member states to consider the following:

  • Inclusion of digital health and diagnostic connectivity as components of national diagnostic strategies aligned with Principles for Digital Development
  • Establishing evidence and regulatory frameworks for the safe and effective use of frontier technologies, such as AI,
  • Capacity building of health workforce on advances in diagnostics and management of digital technologies, especially at a primary and community level
  • Adoption of diagnostic technologies as digital public goods (DPGs) on the GIDH platform to ensure equitable access to diagnosis, especially in LMICs
  • Supporting the development and adoption of diagnostic data exchange standards for seamless inclusion of data in public health reporting systems.

Harmonizing digital diagnostic investments at a primary and community healthcare levels are critical to achieving UHC. We commend G20 Presidency of India for catalyzing the effort towards the GIDH and acknowledge WHO for their strategic leadership.