Digital Transformation for More Equitable and Sustainable Public Health in the Age of Digital Interdependence

Am J Public Health. 2022 Aug;112(S6):S621-S624. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2022.306749.

Abstract

This article describes 8 guiding principles for the digital transformation of the health sector and identifies their relationship with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as highlights their importance to countries undergoing digital transformation processes. In the Region of the Americas, among other gaps, 30% of people do not have access to the Internet, which is why it is mandatory to develop policies and actions to deliver public health interventions equitably and sustainably to ensure that no one is left behind. The 8 principles focus on the 4 areas of a sustainable health system-human, social, economic, and environmental-and highlight the broader possibilities for using digital technology to have an impact on the sustainability of health systems. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S6):S621-S624. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306749).

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics*
  • Public Health