The global health situation remains critical due to threats posed by pandemics, such as COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) has therefore announced its intention to adopt the European Union (EU) digital COVID certificate to create an international system facilitating mobility and protecting the citizens of the world. The move comes as the EU has pioneered the introduction of COVID digital certificates to fight the pandemic.
The first stage of a global WHO digital health certification network is planned for June 2023 and will be developed gradually thereafter. This program aims to enable access to open source digital health tools, based on the principles of fairness, innovation, transparency, data protection and respect for privacy, to all Member States. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, highlighted the importance of improving the efficiency of health services globally through innovative digital health products.
The WHO initiative is based on the EU Global Health Strategy and the WHO Global Digital Health Strategy. And this was made possible by the agreement reached between EU Commissioner Kyriakides and WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom in December 2022, aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation on global health issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how crucial it is for governments and international organizations to work together to tackle global health threats. The WHO initiative is an important step forward in ensuring the safety of global citizens and access to effective health services for all