Calling all digital health leaders!

Our January 16th  meeting consisted of an open discussion from leaders regarding component overview drafts & HIE Country Profiles. We had representation from 7 Countries on this call. 

All of our topics are derived from requests from the forum, so don’t miss out - review the recording & contribute your thoughts! https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_trczw08w?st=186 

What you missed!:

The call began with a friendly exchange of New Year greetings and casual discussions on returning from the holidays and a recent 3-day Chile HL7 Connectathon. Attendees then introduced themselves, sharing their roles and countries.

Paul outlined the agenda and reflected on the success of the eHealth Leaders Forum in 2024, highlighting in-person regional events that provided valuable spaces for leaders to connect and exchange ideas. He emphasized the intention to grow participation, engagement, and collaborative outputs. Steven added that momentum was strong and emphasized the need for ethical and responsible leadership, particularly in Africa, and suggested collaborating with global organizations like the WHO.

Paul noted that the WHO had expressed interest in government-to-government relations through the eHealth Leaders Forum. Alvin shared that OpenHIE had become part of the Philippines' health architecture, and Paul reiterated the forum's origins within OpenHIE and the group's ability to decide its direction moving forward.

The conversation shifted to a review of component overview document drafts. (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cl0PPL3VYuGFedv0JL6S2axaGi1lF4f5?usp=drive_link)  

Paul explained the goal of creating shared language and a collaborative resource, with country profiles serving as a central tool for exchanging knowledge and documentation. Michael mentioned that some profiles were published, and Steven emphasized that the profiles were valuable for deepening understanding. Milani praised the initiative, noting its usefulness for reviewing digital strategies and providing a reference library for countries.

Milani also suggested including WHO guidelines in the documents, which Paul agreed to incorporate. He proposed that the outlines for all components be published and discussed further.

The call concluded with a suggestion to have each health leader share their priorities for the year, which would help the group stay relevant and focused on shared goals.

How you can help!

Review the country profile example (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sZ3uSPsQMnMEK_12eIU67oR-rgYofB_q36wzKryWa0s/edit#slide=id.p) and connect with your in-country team on this in order to get ready to start drafting your country’s HIE Profile! 

Why it matters!

These HIE Country Profiles will serve as a way for country leaders to gain more valuable insight into the governance structures & the HIE component progress. The more profiles we are able to successfully make available on the OpenHIE wiki the more aware eHealth Leaders can be of global efforts.  

review the meeting recording here: https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_kmk9vswy?st=35

🧭 Meeting Overview

• Context: The group gathered to address the recent disruption caused by the sudden withdrawal or reduction of U.S. government aid in digital/global health initiatives.

• Tone: Open, honest, and solution-focused dialogue centered on sustainability, national ownership, and collaboration.

• Purpose: To share personal experiences, challenges, and opportunities arising from the funding shift, and to propose actionable steps forward..

🧠 Themes & Insights

🔧 Resilience & Ownership

• Many countries are striving to take charge of digital health systems and not rely entirely on external aid.

• Importance of government leadership, strategic planning, and resource allocation.

🚨 Crisis as Catalyst

• This funding disruption is a wake-up call and an opportunity to shift toward local control and sustainability.

🤝 Collaboration & Learning

• Calls for deeper collaboration across countries and organizations, especially within the Global South.

• Willingness to share tools, strategies, and lessons.

💰 Financial Models

• Recognition of the need to rethink funding models.

• Proposals for diversified financing, including domestic resources and new philanthropic partners.

💬 Proposed Actions

• Compile a collective report capturing these experiences.

• Advocate through regional forums and institutions.

• Push for digital health to be recognized and budgeted at national levels.

• Strengthen internal capacities through training and system simplification.

✅ Emerging Action Items

1. Develop a formal report summarizing the meeting’s findings and proposals.

2. Promote domestic digital health investment and integrate digital health into national budgets.

3. Encourage country ownership by redefining terms of collaboration with implementing partners.

4. Conduct national needs assessments for digital health systems.

5. Share existing tools and frameworks for sustainability evaluation.

6. Support cross-country mentorship and experience sharing (South-South collaboration).

Review the recording here: https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_8pl5ptes

The meeting began with informal greetings and discussions before transitioning to updates from participants across regions. Thomas, the country director for Data.FI in Botswana, described the halt in eHealth implementations due to an aid freeze. Innocent shared Zambia’s challenges with disrupted health systems and uneven project handovers, emphasizing the need for ministry-led sustainability efforts. Daniel and Esteban from Latin America reflected on differing funding dynamics, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships and self-sufficiency amid declining aid. Chile’s experience demonstrated the role of academia and consistent political support in advancing digital health. Comparisons were drawn to Africa, where digital transformation has roots in HIV-related funding but remains under-prioritized. Steve questioned the sector’s perceived value and stressed reframing its importance for political support. Paul and others discussed how automation and international advocacy could help leaders see digital transformation as cost-effective and essential. The group agreed on the importance of structured, strategic conversations, leveraging global support, and using this forum to push for sustainable, locally led digital health initiatives.

Review the recording here: https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_e5rmkhjf?st=408

Participants discussed progress on digital health implementation, particularly around Health Information Exchange (HIE) and the need for national standards and governance. Rosemary (WHO-HQ) emphasized supporting clinical decision-making through data and shared updates on guideline development, while Hassan highlighted Somalia’s challenges with standardization and interest in developing a country HIE profile. Esteban and Paul contributed technical and strategic guidance, with a plan to reconvene the eHealth leaders in person later in the year.

Review the recording here: https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_92g67qrw

🧭 Meeting Summary

The conversation centered around ongoing challenges and adaptations in digital health across several African countries due to funding cuts, particularly from USAID, and the need for sustainability and government support. Participants from Uganda, Malawi, South Sudan, and Somalia shared similar experiences, highlighting efforts to manage transitions, address data fragmentation, and promote interoperability. The group discussed the importance of country leadership, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing through initiatives like the Country Profiles and upcoming in-person engagement at the HELINA Conference in Botswana. Emphasis was placed on engaging the private sector and exploring sustainable financing models for digital health, with a commitment to continue these discussions in future meetings.

🧭 Meeting Overview

Context: Participants from various African countries shared updates on their digital health systems amidst funding uncertainties, particularly following reductions from partners like USAID. The meeting was part of the ongoing African eHealth Leadership Forum supported by HELINA.

Tone: Collaborative, reflective, and solutions-oriented, with a sense of urgency around sustainability and system resilience.

Purpose: To share country-level experiences, highlight common challenges, promote collaboration, and prepare for upcoming engagements including the HELINA Conference.

🧠 Themes & Insights

• Funding & Sustainability Challenges: Countries like Uganda, Malawi, South Sudan, and Somalia are grappling with funding cutbacks and are exploring ways to sustain digital health efforts.

• Government & Partner Engagement: Stronger advocacy to central governments is needed to ensure continuity, especially as partner support wanes.

• Interoperability & Data Systems: Fragmented systems and lack of interoperability remain key obstacles, with efforts underway (e.g., Somalia’s health information unit).

• Country Profiles as Knowledge Tools: Participants value the Country Profiles as a platform for sharing and learning from each other’s digital health journeys.

• Importance of Leadership Forums: The forum is seen as a vital space for mutual support, knowledge exchange, and coordinated progress across countries.

💬 Proposed Actions

• Share country-specific experiences and contribute to Country Profiles.

• Include discussions on private sector engagement and financing models in future meetings.

• Continue coordination and knowledge-sharing through the forum and upcoming events.

✅ Emerging Action Items

• 📝 Finalize and share formal invitations for the HELINA Conference (August 26–29) to support internal travel approvals.

• 📲 Share event updates in the WhatsApp group once details are confirmed.

• 🌍 Encourage countries to begin drafting their Country Profiles, using examples like Rwanda’s.

• 🗓 Plan for future meeting topics: private sector engagement and sustainable financing for digital health systems.

Carol Kamasaka from HELINA will be guiding and facilitating the Africa eHealth Leadership Forum (EHLF), with support from Paul. Their aim is to help members advance their goals and aspirations. The team has already identified approximately 60% of Africa’s eHealth leaders and is working with regional partners to identify the remainder.

Initial work has begun on drafting Country HIE Profile pages to document each country’s digital health efforts and resources (link here). A face-to-face EHLF meeting is being planned as a pre-event to the HELINA 2025 Conference, which will take place in Botswana in August 2025 (conference site).

Key discussion topics for the event include:

• Sustaining digital health efforts amid changes in donor aid.

• Learning from countries who have succeeded without external funding.

• Defining what it means to be a digital/eHealth leader.

• Addressing governance structures and challenges across countries.

• Developing national digital health policy and regulatory frameworks.

• Exploring how OpenHIE unites stakeholders across the continent.

• Ensuring harmonization as other regional momentum sees other ehealth leaders forums being formed

As an action, Carol and Paul will draft a “strawman” definition of digital health and eHealth leadership to spark dialogue at the event. They will also make updates to the agenda for the event given suggestions today. Countries will be encouraged to share governance structures, policy approaches, and ideas for a common implementation checklist.

As requested by this group and others a slide deck has been prepared by the secretariat to support advocacy for digital health leaders, will be shared with members. Invitations to the EHLF face-to-face event will be sent soon, and interested participants should reach out to Carolyn Kamasaka at programsdirector@helina.africa.