This is a statement made by the World Heart Federation, CLAS Coalition for Americas’ Health, and NCD Alliance at the 73rd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas on Agenda Item 4.3: Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector in the Region of the Americas.
Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,
The World Heart Federation, CLAS and NCD Alliance, commend the leadership of WHO in the field of digital health. We welcome the Global Strategy on Digital Health and the roadmap as both timely and necessary.
Circulatory diseases, and other NCDs, are the world’s number one cause of disability and mortality, with the Americas seeing an increasing burden. Ageing trends will only increase the risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and additional comorbidities – and population vulnerability to epidemics, as with COVID-19. The pandemic obliges governments to build back better and there are opportunities to accelerate a shift to digital health technologies: Testing and vaccination programmes; improving prevention, diagnostics, and care for those living with circulatory diseases and multiple NCDs, within the principles of patient care, health equity, and data protection guide.
The 2019 Global Summit on Circulatory Health convened more than 100 leaders in health, technology, policymaking, academia, and civil society. They called for equitable and patient-centred digital health frameworks, adapted to the country context, built on principles of data privacy and health equality, and supported by closer collaboration between all areas of government, healthcare professionals, industry, tech, and people living with NCDs. Today, we echo that call.
We pledge to support you by working closely with PAHO and Member States, as well as all stakeholders, to build and engage with the evidence base on digital health, share best practices to better manage circulatory health and NCDs using digital health tools, and identify and elevate country champions throughout the Americas. We encourage you to review WHF’s position paper on the digital transformation of circulatory health and to join us on 29 September, World Heart Day, in the global campaign to connect hearts around the world for better CVD outcomes through the employment of digital health solutions. Let’s make this happen.
Lee el anuncio en español: Item Agenda 4.3 WHF Transformación Digital SPA.
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