Investing an additional €0.22 per patient per year in digital health interventions could avert approximately seven million acute events and hospitalisations and save more than two million lives from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) over the next decade, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The report, Going digital for noncommunicable diseases: the case for action, was launched at the 79th United Nations General Assembly earlier this week.
It examined the scientific evidence that has emerged since 2019. While acknowledging that evidence on the effectiveness of digital health solutions is evolving, the report provides an initial assessment of the projected costs of implementing and/or extending digital interventions for NCDs in countries during the next decade, according to the available data and several empirical assumptions.
This report addresses three groups of digital health interventions: mobile messaging, health chatbots, and telemedicine. The health outcomes assessed were types 1 and 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and tobacco cessation.
The results of the economic modelling suggest that, by 2033, the selected set of digital health interventions could save 2.1 million lives and contribute 4.9 million life years to the global population, while improving access to services, increasing public health awareness, improving health monitoring and increasing health system efficiency, while empowering both patients and health workers.
In terms of economic benefits, the accrued health gains were conservatively estimated to surpass$US199 billion (€178 billion). The figure is based on the collective economic output of those individuals whose lives were preserved and the productivity gains (greater productivity and labour participation) arising from better disease management and control, leading to fewer people experiencing acute events or hospitalisation due to complications of NCDs.
ITU secretary-general Doreen Bogdan-Martin said the digital revolution “has the potential to unleash a health revolution”.
“At ITU, universal meaningful connectivity is a priority because digital is a catalyst for delivering targets in key sectors such as health and education,” Ms Bogdan-Martin said.
“We call for greater collaboration between the health and tech sectors, including the development of strong digital public infrastructure, essential for the delivery of digital health services that can benefit people everywhere without leaving anyone behind.”
While more than 60 per cent of countries have developed a digital health strategy, lack of integration of new technologies into existing health infrastructure continued to be a challenge. The report calls for countries to invest in digital public infrastructure, and promote standards and interoperability which can overcome critical barriers to realising the full potential of digital health.
“The future of health is digital. But to make this vision a reality, we need both resources and collaboration,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“No single organisation can do it alone. We call on governments, partners, and donors to come together, invest strategically, and ensure that these life-saving innovations reach those who need them most.”
