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.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Key Participants & Contributions

Steven Wanyee

• Framed the conversation around leadership and sustainability amid global funding shifts.

• Encouraged honest sharing of experiences and constructive dialogue.

• Proposed developing a shared report and advocacy plan.

Paul Biondich (Regenstrief Institute)

• Reaffirmed Regenstrief's commitment to supporting digital health work despite U.S. policy changes.

• Emphasized using the crisis as an opportunity to address long-standing structural issues.

• Encouraged collective learning and self-determination.

🌍 Country-Specific & Individual Contributions

Dr. Alinafe Mbewe (Malawi)

• Described chaos caused by abrupt partner withdrawal — some systems fell back to paper-based.

• Expressed the urgent need for ownership, technical capacity, and "patriotism" in digital health.

• Prioritized critical system elements that can be sustained locally.

• Strongly advocated for new terms of partnership: “If you're coming back, come back on our terms.”

Innocent Chiboma (Zambia)

• Shared Zambia's creation of a minimum essential services package to maintain continuity.

• Highlighted the value of existing government-hosted systems and gaps in local troubleshooting capacity.

• Suggested that facilities with more local ownership were more resilient.

Daniel Otzoy (RECAINSA, Latin America)

• Criticized the paternalistic nature of traditional aid models.

• Called for South-South collaboration and leveraging public-private partnerships for innovation.

• Highlighted regional resilience and encouraged cross-country knowledge sharing.

Phiona

• Advocated for sustainability through evaluating and scaling already-existing systems.

• Called on the community to look inward for solutions and seek alternative philanthropic support.

• Shared a paper on digital health sustainability.

Andrew Likaka

• Described significant disruption across institutions he supports.

• Urged governments to move from commitment to real investment.

• Suggested a needs assessment and alignment of digital strategies with budgets.

Trymore Chawurura (Zimbabwe)

• Shared that digital health strategies often diverged from donor-driven implementations.

• Warned that governments may abandon digital health due to lack of budgeted funding.

• Emphasized the need for digital literacy within governments for sustainability.

Sylvere (Rwanda)

• Highlighted internal innovation and capacity-building during COVID-19.

• Shared that most digital tools used in Rwanda are now locally owned.

• Promoted a phased, domestic-led transition toward full digital sovereignty.

🧠 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).

US Holiday