The webinar came to a close with a call to action to advance digital health and foster collaboration among various stakeholders for the successful deployment of such applications.
The third installment of a series of “Regional Webinars on Digital Health in its Member States” was organised by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS). Middle Eastern and Central Asian health experts took part in the webinar.
They demanded coordinated efforts to advance digital health as a means of achieving citizen-centric healthcare systems that are effective and affordable for everyone to access. The webinar was organised to participate in the worldwide celebration of World Health Day, which is observed on April 7.
The Executive Director of COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. M. Nafees Zakaria, expressed his opinions at the opening session and noted that digital technologies have been crucial in assisting the delivery of healthcare services, enabling remote consultations, and facilitating the monitoring of patients’ health status.
He expressed optimism that, by banding together, we could harness the power of digital technologies to change the way healthcare is delivered, enhance health outcomes, and make sure that no one is left behind.
Dr. Najeeb AL Shorbaji, who is currently the president of the eHealth Development Association of Jordan and was formerly the director of the Department of Knowledge, Ethics, and Research at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, moderated the technical session.
Six subject matter experts and academics shared the advancements being made in the field of health in Jordan, Iran, Syria, and Palestine, representing organisations like the WHO, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health (CWCDH), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The esteemed speakers also discussed how digital health initiatives are being implemented in their home nations, whether it be through the operation of Telemedicine facilities, the upkeep of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), or the use of mobile health applications.
The webinar made clear that the EHR is the foundation of digital health. Some of the difficulties in the digitalization of healthcare have been identified as lacking in modern infrastructure, untrained human resources, a lack of policy direction, and a lack of standards.
The webinar came to a close with a call to action to advance digital health and foster collaboration among various stakeholders for the successful deployment of such applications in underdeveloped nations.