22 January 2019, Cairo – WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work (2019–2023) emphasizes the potential of digital technologies (eHealth) to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and support health systems in all countries in health promotion and disease prevention by improving the accessibility, quality and affordability of health services. To enable countries to develop and effectively implement national eHealth strategies, a regional capacity-building workshop was held in Beirut, Lebanon, from 19 to 21 November, 2018.
The objective of the workshop was to enable countries to plan, develop and implement a national eHealth strategy, guided by the step-by-step approach to achieving results outlined in a WHO/International Telecommunication Union (ITU) toolkit. Participants included 35 eHealth focal points from 18 countries (nationals and WHO country office representatives). Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative, Lebanon, inaugurated the workshop, which was facilitated by five eHealth experts (two from the WHO Regional Office, one from WHO headquarters, one from ITU, and one external consultant).
The workshop followed an earlier workshop held in Cairo, Egypt, from 25 to 27 December 2017, attended by 24 eHealth focal points from 15 countries and UNRWA. Overall, eHealth focal points from 21 out of the 22 countries of the Region have now attended at least one of the two workshops. As a result, these focal points have become a network of trained professionals, able to foster innovation and catalyse the development and implementation of national eHealth strategies in their home countries.
All workshop participants have committed to sharing their national eHealth strategies and identifying the support needed to achieve them, by March 2019. Moreover, the focal points of countries with advanced plans have expressed their willingness to share any lessons learnt and provide support to countries that are starting the process of strategy development.
The workshop was organized by the innovation and eHealth team of the Department of Information, Evidence and Research, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in collaboration with the Service Delivery and Safety Department, WHO headquarters, and ITU.
