Global consortium of partners working to drive action

About DTH-Lab

DTH-Lab is a global consortium of partners working to drive implementation of The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030’s recommendations for value-based digital transformations for health co-created with young people.

Digital transformations are shaping all aspects of our lives, including health. Digital innovations can help to improve young people’s health and well-being and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through their application in health systems, public health promotion and prevention, and personal self-management of health status and behaviours. Without good governance, digital transformations can undermine health and exacerbate inequality. As levels of connectivity increase, concerted efforts are required to ensure that digital technologies are harnessed in support of better health and well-being for all and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Our vision

By 2030, digital transformations of health are led by Health for All values and enable digital first health systems to deliver equitable benefits for the health, well-being and safety of young people and their communities.

Our vision

By 2030, digital transformations of health are led by Health for All values and enable digital first health systems to deliver equitable benefits for the health, well-being and safety of young people and their communities.

DTH-Lab remains committed to a value-based approach to digital transformations grounded in Health for All objectives and principles outlined in the Governing Health Futures 2030 Commission report.

As an innovative thought leader and action-oriented platform, DTH-Lab pushes the boundaries in advancing a value-driven approach to digital transformations for health by operating in the following ways:

Dynamic & Innovative

We make full use of digital tools, technologies and platforms to generate evidence, convene stakeholders and communicate our work with diverse audiences. We are an agile organization and adapt to changing contexts and strategic opportunities.

Inclusive

We meaningfully engage young people at every stage of our work with a particular focus on countries with large populations of young people — predominantly situated in Africa and Asia.

Future thinking

We push for sustainable governance solutions that improve young people’s health and well-being today and in the future. Our model takes a long-term view that allows for growth and adaptation to respond to new opportunities and challenges.

Democratic

We operate within a participative, transparent and accountable structure. From our internal governance mechanisms to the ways in which we engage with external collaborators and partners — including young people and youth led organisations.

Contributing to sustainable development

DTH-Lab’s work focuses on accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and improving young people’s health and well-being in an age of increasing digital transformations. Our work contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal three, ‘ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’. Other SDGs of relevance to DTH-Lab’s work include SDG 4 (quality education); SDG 5 (gender equality); SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure); SDG 10 (reduced inequalities); and SDG 17 (partnerships).


DTH-Lab’s work supports the implementation of other global initiatives working at the intersection of digital transformations, health and youth well-being. These include the UN Secretary General’s Roadmap on Digital Cooperation, Adolescents 2030, the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 and the Global Initiative on Digital Health. DTH-Lab also aligns with international human rights frameworks including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Steering committee

The Steering Committee plays a central role in shaping the direction and success of DTH-Lab and representing the consortium at external events. Through its strategic and advisory functions, partnership and fundraising efforts, and inclusive approach to engagement, the Committee helps to ensure that DTH-Lab remains aligned with its objectives, responsive to emerging opportunities and challenges, and positioned for sustainable impact.

Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Aferdita Bytyqi
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Aferdita Bytyqi
Antoine Geissbühler
Hosting Institution
Antoine Geissbühler
Ilona Kickbusch
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Ilona Kickbusch
Rohinton Medhora
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Rohinton Medhora
Njide Ndili
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Njide Ndili
El Ghali Ouali Alami
Regional Youth Champion
El Ghali Ouali Alami
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab
Anurag Agrawal
Founding Member, DTH-Lab

The Steering committee is composed of representatives from key stakeholders of DTH-Lab including the Lab Director and Executive Director, Founding Members, Consortium Partners, a Regional Youth Champion and leadership from the hosting institution.

Steering Committee members may change as the project develops to accommodate for strategic opportunities

Consortium members

DTH-Lab operates through a distributive governance model, initially led by three core partners: Ashoka University (India), DTH-Lab (Switzerland) and PharmAccess (Nigeria). Collectively, the core partners bring invaluable competencies, access and networks to DTH-Lab:

Although DTH-Lab takes a global perspective of engaging stakeholders to create impact, it leverages its nodes in Africa, Asia and Europe to tailor activities to different national and regional contexts.

Partners

DTH-Lab operates in a growing landscape of actors working at the intersection of digital transformations, health and governance. The Lab collaborates with organizations that have well established and trusted ways of working with communities at the local level. It works with a diverse range of stakeholders from academia, intergovernmental bodies, donors, national governments, convenors, civil society organizations and private sector organizations.

Partnerships are a vital predictor of success for DTH-Lab so it will continually expand and attract new partnerships including youth networks and organizations to ensure collaborative and sustainable mechanisms to create change.

We often partner with journals and publications such as PLOS Digital Health, Health Promotion International and The Lancet to help share our findings and to offer opportunities to our youth network.

Become a partner

Funding

DTH-Lab is funded by Fondation Botnar. Fondation Botnar works to improve the well-being of young people around the world. Advocating for the inclusion of youth voices and the equitable use of AI and digital technology, the foundation invests in and supports innovative programmes and research and brings together actors from across sectors to create dialogue and partnerships.

DTH-Lab is also supported by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, a private operating foundation based in Germany. Bertelsmann Stiftung aims to stimulate debate and provide impetus for social change while serving the public good and having a sustainable impact. Its health programme focuses on innovation and patient centeredness in a health-care system based on solidarity.

PharmAccess has been striving to make inclusive health systems a reality in sub-Saharan Africa since 2006. Under a new paradigm with connectivity and data as catalysts, PharmAccess is building transformative systems innovations that can be replicated and adopted by others. Our goal is to spark unprecedented gains in healthcare by connecting patients and professionals – because the impossible is possible when you care. PharmAccess provides in-kind support and resources to the Consortium’s joint activities.

Koita Centre for Digital Health at Ashoka (KCDH-A) is an interdisciplinary Centre, offering robust academic and research programmes aimed at advancing and developing a fresh perspective on Digital Health. It focuses on the convergence of healthcare, genomics, information technology and artificial intelligence revolutions. Ashoka University and the Koita Centre for Digital Health provide in-kind support and resources to the Consortium’s joint activities.

Our team

DTH-Lab’s offices are located in Europe, Africa and Asia. DTH-Lab headquarters is hosted by the University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine based at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland. The DTH-Lab Nigeria office is hosted by PharmAccess Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria and the India office is hosted by Ashoka University’s Koita Centre for Digital Health in Sonepat, India.

Aferdita Bytyqi
Executive Director
Aferdita Bytyqi
Enow Awah Georges Stevens
Africa Partnerships Adviser
Enow Awah Georges Stevens
Whitney Gray
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Whitney Gray
Louise Holly
Research and Policy Coordinator
Louise Holly
Ilona Kickbusch
Director
Ilona Kickbusch
Tomiwa Akinsanya
Event Coordinator
Tomiwa Akinsanya
Ananya Choyal
Policy and Research Officer
Ananya Choyal
Corrie Fairweather-Mills
Communications Consultant
Corrie Fairweather-Mills
Akshata Pupala
Project Officer
Akshata Pupala
Imane Lakbachi
Youth Policy Officer and DTH-Lab focal point to the WHO Youth Council
Imane Lakbachi
Faysal Abbas
Social Media Consultant
Faysal Abbas

Data Solidarity team

The Data Solidarity team at DTH-Lab is a partnership with the University of Vienna, dedicated to advancing the ethical and inclusive use of data in digital health.

Barbara Prainsack
Magdalena Eitenberger

DFHS team

The DFHS team provide strategic leadership and expert guidance to support formulation of the DTH-Lab blueprint for digital first health systems.

Tobias Silberzahn
DFHS Technical Advisor
Anyesha Mitra
Policy Research & Impact Assessment Consultant