WHO, EU Launch Digital Health Certificates To Help Nigeria and Other Member States

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Commission have announced the inauguration of a significant partnership in digital health to benefit people in receiving quality services around the world.

In a statement issued on Monday, both organisations stated that this collaboration serves as the initial foundation of the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN).

The Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides said the partnership marked a crucial milestone in the EU Global Health Strategy’s digital action plan. According to her, “As the directing and coordinating authority on international health work, there is no better partner than the WHO to advance the work we started at the EU. It will further develop global digital health solutions.”

She added that the partnership will have close collaboration in the development, management, and implementation of the WHO GDHCN system, taking advantage of the European Commission’s substantial technical expertise in this domain. She further restated that the initial step involves ensuring the continued effective functioning of the current EU digital certificates.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasised that the objective of the new digital health products under development is to enable people worldwide to receive quality health services promptly and efficiently. He explained that WHO intends to provide all its Member States with access to an open-source digital health tool, guided by the principles of equity, innovation, transparency and data protection.

The statement further noted that the initiative is based on the EU and WHO Global Health Strategy on digital health, following the agreement reached on November 30, 2022.

The two organisations committed to strengthening their strategic cooperation on global health matters, reinforcing a robust multilateral system with the WHO at its core, supported by a strong EU.