Building a blueprint for digital first health systems: Findings from global youth consultations

Publication
May 27, 2024
Louise Holly
Whitney Gray
Ilona Kickbusch
By -

Executive Summary

The Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) is collaborating with young people around the world to develop a blueprint for digital first health systems. This blueprint will set out young people’s vision for digital first health systems and guide different actors—from policy makers to technology companies—on the steps required to make this vision a reality.

The DTH-Lab’s work builds on the report of The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing health futures 2030: Growing up in a digital world. The Commission recommended that for young people’s health and well-being to thrive in an age of digital transformations, stakeholders must enfranchise and empower youth to co-design and critically engage with digital first health systems as part of efforts to increase public participation and digital health
citizenship.

This global interim report summarizes the first stage of a three-year project to develop the
blueprint. Over nearly a year and a half long process, more than 100 young people under
30 years old from 36 countries were consulted through a social media campaign, call for essays and series of six virtual consultations with global youth networks.

The many rich and diverse contributions make clear that young people know what kind of health futures they want to see, they have expectations of what an equitable digital first health system can achieve, and they want to be actively involved in co-creating the solutions.

Partnering document

Partnering document

DTH-Lab’s Regional Youth Champions (2023-2024) were invited to share a short essay on what a digital first health system means to them. Read the full collection of youth authored essays in the partnering document to the global report Creating digital first health systems with young people.

Click on the links below to read the reports:
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References

Louise Holly has more than 20 years’ experience of global policy analysis, research and evidence-based advocacy focused on advancing the health and rights of children, adolescents and youth. Following roles with Save the Children and UNICEF, Louise worked as an independent consultant for several years supporting the Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030 and other organizations including Transform Health and PMNCH. In July 2023, Louise became the Policy and Research Coordinator at the DTH-Lab where she coordinates the consortium’s knowledge generation, analysis and policy influencing work.

Whitney Gray is the Youth Engagement Coordinator at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab. She has a degree in pre-medical biology and medical ethics and holds two Masters degrees in Public Health and International Affairs. Ms Gray’s experience includes biomedical research, health systems strengthening, global health governance and civil society engagement. With a longstanding desire to advance the health and wellbeing of all, she works to improve the inclusivity of actors in the design and implementation of research, policy and solutions for health.

Ilona Kickbusch is the Director of the DTH-Lab. She is a visiting professor at the University of Geneva, the founding director, chair and senior distinguished fellow of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. She is known throughout the world for her expertise and is a sought after senior adviser and key note speaker. Her areas of expertise include the determinants of health, health in all policies, and global health governance. She advises countries on their global health strategies, trains health specialists, and is involved in German G7 and G20 health activities. She publishes widely and serves on various commissions and boards. She has been awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz) in recognition of her invaluable contributions to innovation in governance for global health and global health diplomacy. She has also been awarded the WHO Medal in recognition of her contribution to global health.

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