Humanitarian organisations assisting vulnerable communities worldwide have gaps in areas like digital health, according to Dr. Manish Kohli, founder of global non-profit Pul Alliance Digital Health and Equity (“Pul Alliance DHE”).

He emphasised the importance of addressing these gaps with the appropriate resources, stating, “Where the world sees challenges, we see opportunities. We have seen people doing amazing work in communities, but the people doing that work are struggling. Our model is about bringing a global ecosystem together, partnering with in-country solution providers – organisations that know how to function in the local economy. It’s not just about implementing technology.

And let’s not forget change management. These organisations don’t have that. We can bring over resources from workforce development, program development, and digital health, and marry that with strategic funding.”

Dr. Kohli was speaking as part of a panel discussion titled “HIMSS24 Global Leaders Exchange: Digital Transformation – Addressing Global Health Challenges Through Local Solutions” at HIMSS24 in Orlando. Ideas and experiences were shared on how digital transformation of health and care at local level can contribute to overcoming challenges that affect all.

Speakers included Andrea Fiumicelli, Chairman of the Board at Dedalus Group; Benjamin Luciani, Director of Projects at Ministerial delegation for digital health, Ministry of Health of France; Bogi Eliasen, Director of Health at Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies; Faisal Alshamari, Digital Transformation Officer at Council of Health Insurance in Saudi Arabia; Marcelo D’Agostino, Senior Advisor for Information Systems and Digital Health at PAHO; and Petra Wilson, Senior Advisor, European Health Policy & EU Affairs, HIMSS.

The panellists underscored the significance of data. Dr. Kohli described the challenge faced by physicians in addressing the sheer volume of data and how much of this is accessed by patients, including misinformed data. He remarked, “Health data accounts for a fraction of attributable outcomes. Other sources of data are available. There is a tsunami of confusion that frontline folks face. Technology and medicine are rapidly evolving. How do we stay ahead of the curve?”

Luciani and Eliasen both concurred that the standardisation of data in the healthcare sector is a pressing issue. Meanwhile, Fiumicelli emphasised the urgency of addressing cybersecurity threats in healthcare, a challenge that other sectors have long grappled with.

Pul Alliance DHE speakers will next be leading a panel discussion at HIMSS24 on Empowerment, Resilience and Equity Through the Power of Pul Alliance on Wednesday March 13.

Disclaimer: The author of this content is a co-founder of Pul Alliance for Digital Health and Equity