Medicus Mundi Switzerland | Digitalisation affects us all. New technologies, including telemedicine, web-based diagnosis tools, digital data collection and artificial intelligence (AI), are having various impacts on health and health systems and will bring lasting change to the global health landscape.
The speed and scale of these changes are increasing – which means it is also necessary to assess and adjust the agility, responsiveness and scope of global health cooperation and governance mechanisms. Given the changing circumstances, we must develop new ways to cooperate, collaborate and reach a consensus. The successful exploitation of opportunities introduced by digitalisation is being shadowed by reports of human rights abuses, injustices and unintended consequences.
The unreflecting implementation of digital health technologies has the potential to deepen power imbalances and inequalities in health, especially within countries and between low and high-income countries. Discussing issues connected to big data, data ownership, data hosting, privacy and other ethical questions is of crucial importance to ensure that digital technologies are of maximum benefit to the health of everyone.
This year, the MMS Symposium will focus on:
- Understanding: how digitalisation is influencing health, health systems and global health.
- Learning: how digital health strategies can be implemented in a sensitive and responsible way to avoid exacerbating already existing inequities.
- Debate and Exchange: the importance of bringing different stakeholders together when implementing and planning digital health projects and programmes.
The symposium is part of a long-term cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
………………..
Source: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Read more: Website
Community Health Worker using an mhealth app in Malawi. Photo © Christoph Pimmer