Optimising the use of digital technologies for healthy societies and economies

The COVID-19 pandemic made even clearer the need to develop digital health services, forcing health systems to reorientate how they delivered services in a context of social distancing and enhanced infection control protocols that often limited physical access to health services.

In many countries, face-to-face appointments were switched to telephone or web-based appointments, and telemedicine services expanded rapidly, particularly for routine screening and monitoring. Over the last several years, the expansion of digital technology has been accelerating across multiple domains to support health promotion, diagnostics, treatment, and management of multiple health conditions.

Now, as countries continue working towards stronger, more resilient health systems, this brief aims to help take stock of the current digital health landscape. It also highlights key opportunities for digital health on the quest for UHC and explores avenues for digital health to expand and strengthen NCD prevention and control.