Republic of Zambia - Digital Health Strategy 2022-2026¶

As set out in the National Development Plan, Zambia aims to become a prosperous, middle-income country by 2030. Human capital development, and the delivery of health care is essential to achieving that ambition. Zambia’s National Health Strategy has clearly articulated the ambition to meet SDG 2030 Goal 3.8 (achieving Universal Health Coverage), and digital health will be essential to meet that life-changing target. Globally, health systems are changing at an unprecedented rate. COVID-19 and the world-wide disruption it caused have been a catalyst for this change, giving added momentum to the health industry’s accelerated adoption of virtual care and transformation towards intelligent, digitally enhanced care systems. What began as a necessary shift towards remote care has driven a longer-term change to adopt smarter health approaches. In response to the pandemic, a deep vein of virtual care and telemedicine has arisen, underlining the role of digital technologies in building more intelligent health systems.

Across the globe, countries are exploring which frameworks will best manage this change and how they can leverage digital strategies across government to benefit health systems delivery. This strategy will answer these questions driven by the Zambian context - ensuring that over the next five years digital health delivers on the bold goals set out in the National Health Strategy. Aligned to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 7-pillar framework, the digital health strategy sets out a comprehensive approach that considers the leadership and governance of digital health, investment and sustainability, workforce for digital health, legislation policy & compliance, standards & interoperability, national infrastructure and the application and services that are fundamental to the transformation of healthcare delivery in Zambia.

The Ministry of Health recognises that strengthening the country’s health system is a long-term evolutionary process. Technology can make the health system more efficient, delivering high-value, high-quality care at a reasonable cost, and support continual improvements in care, through knowledge generation, enabling the development of a learning health system. But technology adoption for health care remains complex, and determining which innovations will provide the most cost-effective, patient-centred, quality care is multi-faceted. This strategy is therefore guided by a single vision, providing a clear articulation, around which all actors across the sector can coalesce:

“Improving health outcomes for all Zambians through a sustainable, secure and innovative digital ecosystem that is seamless in its operation"

The 2017-2021 strategy focused on service delivery, research, e-learning and governance, and laid strong foundations on which the initiatives set out in this strategy will build. Key successes of 2017-2021 will be fully leveraged to drive forward Zambia’s digital health journey. Ensuring the country builds off the outcomes of the last five years, will enable the successful delivery of this strategy, and the much-needed healthcare transformation across Zambia.

https://www.moh.gov.zm/?wpfb_dl=144

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