The past pandemic years have shown one thing: Much still needs to be done to develop an effective digital healthcare system.
The political initiative Digital Innovation in Pandemic Control (DIPC) and UNICEF are partnering together to host a panel at the re:publica 2023, charting the funding opportunities and challenges of digital public goods. In the session “Equal, digital and effective: funding digital public goods in the health space“, a diverse panel explores the cashflow of public health products and to identify available opportunities in the global digital health space.
This panel is derived from a pain point resultant from the pandemic, whereby low- and middle-income countries have received sizeable financial support for health care- and digital health development in particular. However, the intended outcome has not been realized as the current business model of Digital Public Goods is only viable for large publicly funded stakeholders and has not yet found a way to favour other stakeholders.
“To truly reimagine the possibilities for global public goods, we must explore ways in which the private sector can contribute in a meaningful and sensical way. This event will bring together experts to discuss how we can create public-private partnerships that strengthen the cause of global public goods, ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all.”
Karin Källander, Senior Health Adviser/Chief Unit for Digital Health & Information systems UNICEF
The panel discussion will look at how global public goods can be reinvented so that the private sector may make a significant and sensible contribution and how the existence of public-private partnerships can advance the cause of global public goods.
What solutions does DIPC provide?
DIPC believes that demand-driven introduction, expansion, and integration of digital solutions is a critical component of resilient health systems, pandemic prevention and response, as well as the distribution of vaccines at the national and international levels. This will help to reduce the occurrence, spread, and effects of current and emerging infectious diseases. Digital technologies will enable partner countries to improve their country’s digital public infrastructure for immunisation control, increase health system readiness for digital interventions and ensure that health IT staff are better trained and empowered to use digital tools for vaccine logistics.
