KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 30, 2024 (PAHO) – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), hosted an international conference titled “Caribbean Connect: Building a Pan-American Highway for Digital Health” in Kingston from July 23 to 25. The event aimed to bring together Caribbean leaders and technology experts to share strategies and experiences on digital transformation in the health sector and strengthen communities of practice across the sub-region.
The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is a joint IDB-PAHO project that aims to strengthen digital collaboration, eliminate healthcare barriers, and provide seamless access to clinical information across borders. The initiative builds on the Systems for Information on Health (IS4H) initiative launched in Kingston, Jamaica in 2016.
“We are excited about the potential this initiative has to revolutionize healthcare in the region,” said Ian Stein, PAHO/WHO Representative to Jamaica. “By promoting interoperability across borders, this initiative will ensure individuals, wherever they are, have access to high-quality, safe and efficient healthcare. It is a testament to our commitment to advancing digital health technologies and addressing public health challenges.”
Guest speaker, Minister of Health and Human Services, Dr. Christopher Tufton, stressed the responsibility of the Minister of Health and Government to ensure that assistance reaches vulnerable and underserved populations: “Our digital transformation journey has not been simple or straightforward. Many aspects are new to us and we are still exploring and understanding the strategies and opportunities that best suit the Jamaican context in terms of governance, resources, geography and other factors.”
Since its launch, the IS4H initiative has made great progress, despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The region now boasts a robust plan of action, with many countries advancing strong digital health strategies and national digital health agendas. The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health represents the next stage of this journey, providing a roadmap for the digital transformation of the healthcare sector through to 2030.
“In addition to building roads and bridges and investing in businesses and startups to fuel economic recovery and promote job growth, efforts are needed to help improve the health sector, and digitalizing the sector is clearly a priority,” said Anton Edmunds, the IDB’s Caribbean regional manager.
The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is aligned with the current G20 agenda led by Brazil, which highlights digital health as a key priority. The initiative aims to support more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen digital health governance, infrastructure, services, and human capital.
