Country Director for PharmAccess Foundation Dr Maxwell Antwi has been appointed as a member of WHO Roster of Experts on Digital Health in recognition of his organization’s giants strides in the area of digitizing health system in the country.
In what appears to be a bold step to leverage the power and potential of digital technology, the world health body has set up a Digital Health Department to properly coordinate interventions aimed at improving health outcomes.
At a press briefing, Dr. Maxwell Antwi says while the goal of having a roster of experts is to properly streamline efforts in the technology space to drive the Sustainable Development Goal 3 on healthy lives and wellbeing, it also provides Ghana a fine opportunity to share its experience in the implementation of digital interventions with the rest of the World.
According to Dr. Antwi who is the only Ghanaian on the Roster of Experts, innovations happening ”in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) front in terms of electronic claims management and integration with National Identification Authority, block chain enabled supply chain for medicines with Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and the like, offer Ghana an opportunity to be counted among the nations using digital technology to enhance achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and SDG 3.’’
THE ROLE OF GLOBAL ROASTER OF EXPERTS ON DIGITAL HEALTH
The experts drawn from around the world would be expected to, ” provide high-level global strategic advice and support to the WHO Secretariat on the Organization’s digital health vision and strategy, thereby facilitating WHO’s positioning and comparative advantage in the subject to enable maximum impact.
They are also to review the digital health frontier landscape and advise the WHO Secretariat on possible areas for intervention in that subject.
They are also expected to come up with innovative ideas on how to leverage digital penetration of countries around the world in the promotion of healthcare, disease prevention, cure and rehabilitation.
RELEVANCE FOR GHANA
Dr. Maxwell Antwi believes Africans have done well in the adoption of mobile technology, and this provides an opportunity to take advantage of the penetration of digital technology to accelerate the realization of better health deliverables in sub Sahara Africa.
“It gives Ghana the opportunity tap into the wealth of ideas available from developed countries to improve innovations happening locally. With Ghana leading in this area with her interventions, it will create the platform to attract thought leaders in shaping the sector,” he stated.
He further indicated “general thinking now is that many people are piloting innovations in silos and not sharing ideas and learning from each other, that is one area this could improve,”
“It would help break up the silos
and create a level platform for idea-sharing.
The concept is expected to improve and enhance coalition of digital health
strategies and avoid duplication of efforts and inefficiencies as countries
strive to achieve the global UHC 2030 Agenda.”
BIG ONE FOR PHARMACCESS FOUNDATION AND GHANA
The appointment of a Ghanaian to the WHO Roster of Experts is a big mark of recognition of what Ghana is doing in the space of digitization.
Ghana is considered second to Rwanda on the continent in driving a digitization agenda a step that the country has been encouraged to build on.
PharmAccess Foundation is an entrepreneurial organization with a digital agenda dedicated to connecting more people to better healthcare in Africa.
PharmAccess Foundation believes that mobile technology is on the verge of disrupting healthcare in Africa in a way that none of us can fully imagine.
To capitalize on this opportunity, PharmAccess Foundation and CHAG have initiated a digital platform that connects all players in the pharmaceutical market – bringing transparency, accountability and direct access to medicines for end-users.
Story by: Bismark Oppong (Reporter)/Radiogoldlive.com
