He pushed for the application of new technologies and artificial intelligence that would improve health services by expanding access, enhancing service quality, and integrating health information systems.
He also emphasized that the digital initiatives being promoted by the G20 are not supposed to be carried out by countries individually, and there should also be efforts to advance data standardization.
“Unfortunately, the current state of affairs is that existing initiatives are very fragmented and no one is advancing data standardization,” he said.
For this reason, Indonesia is supporting the Global Initiative on Digital Health to unite efforts and investments in the digital health sector globally, he added.
Building on the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency’s priority on digital health and the Indonesian G20 presidency’s initiative on digital health, the G20 health ministers on Saturday committed to supporting the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) efforts to establish the Global Initiative on Digital Health, which will support the implementation of WHO member-stated endorsed Global Digital Health Strategy 2020–2025.
The Global Initiative on Digital Health, as a WHO-managed network, aims to help reduce fragmentation; ensure convergence of digital health initiatives and voluntary funds, including through the promotion of interoperable, open source, open standard digital solutions, as defined in the WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025, and with WHO guidance and recommendations on effective practices and standards; coordinate work with existing multi-national organizational efforts; and promote the repository of quality-assured digital health solutions in a transparent manner.
The initiative aims to support countries to plan and implement high-quality digital health systems and help patients access healthcare services using a people-centric approach, with the highest consideration for privacy and ethics, in accordance with health information policies and privacy legislations and in full compliance with the respective data protection regimes of each jurisdiction.
The initiative is intended to ensure people-centric, inclusive, and equitable digital health solutions; complement existing health service delivery models; and maintain patient and public trust.
Related news: G20 reaffirms commitment to strengthen global health architecture
Related news: Minister Sadikin conveys Indonesia’s health agendas at G20 India