Global Initiative on Digital Health

• 22 Jun 2024

Source: IE

Why in News?

The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the Ministry of Finance has not approved of India's contribution of USD 10 million for Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH).

What is the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH)?

• About:
  • The Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) is a network of organisations, institutions and government technical agencies engaged in supporting national digital health transformation.
  • It is managed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Its objectives include to assess and prioritise needs for sustainable digital health transformation and to match digital health resources and unfunded priorities.
  • GIDH was launched during India’s G20 Presidency at the Health Ministers’ meeting in Gujarat in August 2023.
  • It became part of the New Delhi declaration and India promised to make a USD 10-million contribution to it as a seed fund. The initiative was formally launched in February 2024.
• Components of GIDH: It has four Main Components.
  • Country Needs Tracker: A mechanism to identify and track the digital health needs of different countries.
  • Country Resource Portal: A map of available digital health resources within each country.
  • Transformation Toolbox: A repository of quality-assured digital tools for health transformation.
  • Knowledge Exchange: Facilitation of knowledge sharing among participating nations.
• Similar Initiatives:
  • Presidency Prevention, Preparedness Response (PPR) Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) was taken during the G20 Presidency by Indonesian, and Indonesia had contributed USD 50 million as an initiator of the proposal.

What is Digital Healthcare?

• About:
  • Digital healthcare is a system of medical care delivery that uses an array of digital technologies to make quality medical care services accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
  • The broad scope of digital health includes categories such as mobile health (mHealth), health information technology (IT), wearable devices, telehealth and telemedicine, and personalised medicine.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission:
  • India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is working toward creating a seamless electronic health record system.
  • It was launched in September 2021 by the Prime Minister.
  • It aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required.
  • The project is being implemented in the pilot phase in six States & Union Territories.
  • The National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be the implementing Agency.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims:

Q. With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2. As it aims to achieve universal, health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (d)