OUR VISION

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will be achieved by 2030 by harnessing digital technology and the use of data.

OUR MISSION

To build a global movement that brings together organisations and institutions across sectors who are committed to achieving UHC within the next ten years by expanding the use of digital technology and increasing access to data.

OUR OBJECTIVES

Building consensus and political will

Recognition of the fundamental role of digital technologies and data use to transform and strengthen health systems to expand primary health care which is an essential foundation for achieving UHC by 2030.

Advocating for a global health data governance framework

To allow for full beneficial, impactful, and responsible management of health data, while safeguarding data privacy, ownership and security.

Enabling increased and coordinated domestic and international financial investments

To strengthen digitally enabled primary health care systems in low and middle income countries to achieve UHC by 2030.

OUR CALLS TO ACTION

OUR VALUES

Equity

Everyone should have access to equitable, affordable, and high-quality healthcare.

Inclusion

Everyone should be included in the design, use and governance of digital approaches that may affect their health and well-being.

Rights

Everyone should be aware of and able to exercise their rights in relation to digital technologies and their own data.

Empowerment

Everyone should be able to make better decisions about their personal health using real-time health information and their own, protected health data.

Partnerships

Individuals and organisations should work together to ensure people are able to control their own data and achieve better health outcomes for themselves and their communities.

We are committed to promoting the perspectives and leadership of youth, women and marginalised groups in all aspects of our work.

SEE OUR EQUITY & INCLUSION DASHBOARD

WHY DIGITAL
HEALTH?

Digital transformation of health systems is happening – unless it happens faster, at scale and in an equitable manner, millions risk being left behind.

CHALLENGES

Low political will

Weak political understanding and support is preventing the sustainable adoption of effective digital solutions that would achieve health for all. In many countries and regions, particularly those with weak health systems, digital technology is being implemented in a piecemeal fashion, based on external programmes and priorities rather than being driven by needs on the ground. This results in weak country ownership and poor uptake of many initiatives. Many countries still lack effective legislation and regulation that would enable the digital transformation of health systems. Often funding is too low and inadequately distributed presenting another barrier to the effective use of digital technology to achieve health for all.

Excluding youth, women & marginalised groups

Digital health approaches and solutions are rarely driven or informed by the needs of women, youth and marginalised groups – who are being left behind in the effort to achieve global health goals. Such health interventions may respond to the few rather than the many, and exclude the specific health needs of underserved communities. Youth, women and marginalised groups must be consulted and meaningfully included in the planning and implementation of digital solutions that impact their health.

Infringing on people’s digital rights and freedoms

Without stronger governance, clearer regulations, greater transparency and accountability driven by informed citizens, digital technology also has the potential to worsen health and well-being, increase inequities, and infringe on the human rights of individuals and communities, including their digital rights. Ethical and human rights concerns arising from the inappropriate application of digital technology and data are undermining confidence in digital technologies as a means of achieving universal health coverage. These risks include biased and unrepresentative data, data extractivism, increased surveillance on individuals, data misuse, and environmental harm.

OPPORTUNITIES

Accelerating progress to health for all

Digital transformation of health systems can improve the quality and efficiency of health services, extend their coverage to remote and rural populations, reach underserved populations, reduce costs, and foster more inclusive processes for health governance. In a nutshell, digitalised health systems can improve the access, affordability and accessibility of healthcare – and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Strengthening primary health care

Digital technology and data have a critical role in increasing the coverage and effectiveness of primary health care (PHC) – which is widely recognised as an essential foundation to achieving UHC. Expanding quality PHC is a sound economic investment as it reduces total healthcare costs and reduces hospital admissions. Digital tools can address health system barriers by enhancing access to health information and services; ensuring more effective systems integration, allowing for greater transparency and accountability, and increased participation of individuals and communities.

Increasing benefits from health data

The digitisation of health records, diagnostics and consumer applications, are exponentially increasing the availability of health data. When effectively governed, health data can lead to quicker response times from doctors, more accurate diagnoses, more targeted distribution of medicine and equipment, improved medical research and more efficient health systems. Health data can also address social and environmental determinants of health, for example by predicting disease outbreaks and the health impact of extreme weather events, and assessing which population groups are most affected by different drivers of health inequities and require differentiated support.

HOW
WE WORK

Transform Health operates on a network governance model organised around different circles that fulfil specific functions. Each Circle works on one or more of our stated objectives. These working circles are represented by coalition partners and consist of the following:

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee oversees the governance and decision-making of the Coalition, and functions as the Board of Directors.

Enabling Function

The Enabling Function serves as the secretariat of the coalition, and implements the coalition strategy. It facilitates coordinated action across the coalition and oversees its day-to-day operation.

Governance and Strategy Circle

The G&S Circle sets the overall strategy and governance of the Coalition.

Policy Circle

The Policy Circle provides thought leadership for the Coalition, particularly on how to strengthen global and national health data governance frameworks to enable equitable, meaningful and trustworthy health data management.

Resource & Investment Circle

The Resource and Investment Circle convenes investors and key stakeholders with the end goal of increasing domestic and international investments for digital health transformation.

Network & Engagement Circle

The Network & Engagement Circle guides Transform Health in strategic engagement issues so that it can build and sustain the partnerships necessary for a strong and effective global movement.

Campaign Circle

The Campaign Circle drives and coordinates Transform Health’s campaigning and advocacy activities at national, regional and global levels.

Regional Networks

Transform Health engages with regional networks to influence agendas with regional bodies and decision makers, such as AU, ECOWAS, EAC, ASEAN, G20 etc. It aims to go beyond existing technical networks, and build up region-wide support and action towards the goal of digital transformation of health systems.

Young Experts

Tech 4 Health (YET4H) – YET4H is an independent Youth Council that contributes to all aspects of Transform Health’s work through strategic guidance and technical inputs. It is composed of 12 experts in policy and advocacy, health, digital technology and youth engagement between ages 18-30. Members actively engage in network governance and co-lead working circles. Follow them on Twitter or Instagram and visit their website.

National Coalitions

Transform Health has set up 6 national coalitions in priority countries whose purpose is to work together to localise Transform health’s strategy, influence their governments and bring about changes in the national strategy that will contribute to the coalition’s overall goals.

Partners

Transform Health is a broad-based coalition, involving partner organisations collaboratively working towards a common goal. Transform Health partners collaborate in a variety of ways, such as – sitting on our Circles or working groups, participate in the coalition’s activities, amplify the coalition’s messaging to its networks, bring together relevant stakeholders to drive the coalition’s mission and provide in-kind support and expertise to further the coalition’s vision.

Working Groups

Transform Health convenes partners around a select number of short-term working groups each year, focussed around our annual strategic priorities. These groups complement the work of our Circles and are open to all coalition partners to join.

OUR TEAM

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dr. Christoph Benn was appointed President of Transform Health in 2021. He is a member of the Governance & Strategy circle and co-chair of the Resource and Investment (R&I) circle that brings together the main international organisations, bilateral partners, civil society, and foundations. Christoph focuses on accelerating UHC in LMICs through innovations in digital health and international health financing. He has extensive experience in managing political relations with governments, multilateral organisations, Civil Society, and the Private Sector and is currently Director for Global Health Diplomacy at the Joep Lange Institute.

Christoph Benn

President

Nanjira Sambuli is the Vice-President of Transform Health. She is a researcher, policy analyst and strategist interested in and working on understanding the unfolding, gendered impacts of ICT adoption on governance, diplomacy, media, entrepreneurship and culture. Nanjira is a Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Ford Global Fellow. She is also a board member at The New Humanitarian, Development Gateway, and Digital Impact Alliance. Additionally, Nanjira sits on the Gender Advisory Board at the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), advises the Carnegie Council's AI and Equality Initiative and is a diplomacy moderator at GESDA.

Nanjira Sambuli

Vice President

Martin Leschhorn Strebel is the treasurer of Transform Health. He is a historian and has been working for non-governmental organisations since 2000. He has been working for Medicus Mundi Switzerland since 2008 – as its Executive Director since 2014. Martin publishes on various topics of global health and Switzerland's international cooperation. He sits on the board of Medicus Mundi International and the civil society platform Agenda 2030. He lives in Switzerland and is a member of the local parliament in Riehen.

Martin Leschhorn-Streble

Treasurer

Mathilde is the founding Executive Director of Transform Health. She leads the Enabling Function and reports to the Executive Committee. She is a seasoned advocate and coalition builder with experience bringing partners and networks together to deliver on common agendas, most recently leading a multi-stakeholder coalition across 20 countries at World Vision International based in South-East Asia. Mathilde’s career spans over 15 years across Asia, Africa, Europe and the USA, currently residing in San Francisco. She is passionate about all things digital to champion the rights of youth and women.

Mathilde Forslund

Executive Director

CIRCLE CO-CHAIRS

GOVERNANCE & STRATEGY CIRCLE

Dykki Settle has more than 25 years of experience in leadership and development of digital technology, data systems, and their enabling environments in more than 20 countries and global organizations. Dykki is currently PATH’s Chief Digital Officer and Co-Lead of PATH’s Center of Digital and Data Excellence, setting digital transformation strategy for the organization and leading more than 100 staff. He also is co-founder and ex-officio Chair of the Board of Digital Square, the USAID/Bill and Melinda Gates-funded flagship global project for digital health, supporting more than 40 implementing partners and over 35 open-source software global goods.

Dykki Settle

Nanjira is a researcher, policy analyst and strategist interested in and working on understanding the unfolding, gendered impacts of ICT adoption on governance, diplomacy, media, entrepreneurship and culture. Nanjira is a Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Ford Global Fellow. She is also a board member at The New Humanitarian, Development Gateway, and Digital Impact Alliance. Additionally, Nanjira sits on the Gender Advisory Board at the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), advises the Carnegie Council's AI and Equality Initiative and is a diplomacy moderator at GESDA.

Nanjira Sambuli

Policy Circle

Parminder is Executive Director of IT for Change, an India-based NGO with consultative status with the UN. IT for Change works at the intersection of digital technologies and progressive social change. Parminder has been a Special Advisor to the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and member of UN Working Groups on improvements to the IGF, and on exploring mechanisms for global digital policy making. In 2015, he was invited to address the UN General Assembly. In India, he has been a member of government’s committees on right to information, e-commerce policy, IT for Masses, and, non-personal data governance framework

Parminder Jeet Singh

Campaign Circle

Drishti is a senior manager at BRAC. She comes with 9years of experience in programme designing and leading multi-sectoral partner engagement to co-create impactful solutions. She is currently leading a team that focuses on engaging government and non-government partners in order to advocate for pro-poor health system. Amid the pandemic, Drishti has worked very closely with various innovative pilots within the BRAC to address the rapidly changing COVID-19 induced challenges. She has also worked with youth-led initiatives in 7 Asian countries, holds a Masters in Globalisation, Business and Development from IDS,University of Sussex and represents Bangladesh on various global platforms.

Tanjila Mazumder Drishti

Lucy is a speciality registrar in public health medicine and a committed youth advocate. By day she works in the NHS and is currently supporting some of the UK’s hardest-hit communities to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also a founding member of Young Experts: Tech 4 Health (YE:T4H) - a dynamic new platform harnessing the power of young people and technology to drive a more equitable, healthier world. Lucy is passionate about rights-based, people-centred approaches to technology and is particularly interested in how the digital world is shaping the health, rights and relationships of the next generation.

Lucy Fagan

Kate is a researcher at the Mass Atrocities in the Digital Era initiative at the Yale Genocide Studies Program, where studies how technology can be used in the commission and documentation of gross human rights abuses. In the digital health space, she is a member of Transform Health's Governance and Strategy circle and as a Young Expert at Young Experts: Tech 4 Health. Kate began her career working in government in the Office of the Premier of Alberta, Canada. In Fall 2022, Kate will further her studies at the Oxford Internet Institute as a Rhodes Scholar.

Kate Pundyk

Resource & Investment Circle

Dr. Christoph Benn was appointed President of Transform Health in 2021. He is a member of the Governance & Strategy circle and co-chair of the Resource and Investment (R&I) circle that brings together the main international organisations, bilateral partners, civil society, and foundations. Christoph focuses on accelerating UHC in LMICs through innovations in digital health and international health financing. He has extensive experience in managing political relations with governments, multilateral organisations, Civil Society, and the Private Sector and is currently Director for Global Health Diplomacy at the Joep Lange Institute.

Christoph Benn

Richard is a United Nations award-winning professional with a track record for influencing adolescent health policy and proven strategic communications, grassroots mobilization, and advocacy skills. In 2018, he received the first-ever Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Action Campaign Award from the United Nations during the Global Festival of Action for Sustainable Development in Bonn, Germany

Richard Dzikunu

Network & Engagement Circle

Mijail focuses on developing digital collaboration and communication strategies to better advocate for the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. He brings experience from the private, public and philanthropic sectors, where he has worked on strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships by designing and implementing innovative means of engagement. He has also published research on multi-sectoral collaborations, philanthropic giving, and social impact. Mijail holds a master's degree in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and a BA in Political Science from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico.

Mijail Santos

Ahmed Aboushady MD, MPH, is a member of the YET4H and co-chairs of the Networking and Engagement Circle at the Transform Health Coalition. Currently, he is a consultant with the WHO, supporting the COVID-19 response. Previously, he worked in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region on expanding the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources [EIOS] a digital tool for public health intelligence. He has supported many projects and worked with the UNAIDS, Deloitte, IOM, IVI, and Brigham Women’s Hospital. Ahmed is from Egypt and is passionate about digital health and the use of digital technology for epidemic intelligence.

Ahmed Aboushady

ENABLING FUNCTION

Mathilde Forslund is the founding Executive Director of Transform Health. She leads the Enabling Function and reports to the Executive Committee. She is a seasoned advocate and coalition builder with experience bringing partners and networks together to deliver on common agendas, most recently leading a multi-stakeholder coalition across 20 countries at World Vision International based in South-East Asia. Mathilde’s career spans over 15 years across Asia, Africa, Europe and the USA, currently residing in San Francisco. She is passionate about all things digital to champion the rights of youth and women.

Mathilde Forslund

Executive Director

Dr. Frank Smith has over twenty years’ experience leading advocacy campaigns and policy teams in the international development, humanitarian and human rights sectors. He has set up and run a number of global campaigns focusing on health including Child Health Now at World Vision International and the No More Epidemics at Management Sciences for Health. Frank has also worked with the private sector as Head of Policy and Campaigns for Airbnb in Spain and Portugal.

Frank Smith

Deputy Director & Campaign Lead

Kirsten has over 15 years’ experience in global health policy and advocacy, equity and gender. She is the Policy Lead at Transform Health, working with the Policy Circle and coalition members on the development and delivery of influencing strategies. Previously, Kirsten was Global Head of Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children International, providing leadership for health and nutrition advocacy across the organisation; and at Save the Children UK led the health advocacy team. She was also Vice Chair of the GAVI CSO Steering Committee and a member of the UK Action for Global Health Steering Committee. Kirsten previously worked at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and UNDP Kenya.

Kirsten Mathieson

Policy Lead

Mandy's experience in Public Health includes 8 years in South Africa working across the field of HIV with diverse populations that include young people, MSM and women including 7 years in Singapore at the Health Promotion Board focusing on both Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases and finally the last 6 years in Digital Health in the global space. Her public health experience of over 20 years includes end to end project and programme management, health system strengthening, monitoring and evaluation, disease surveillance, digital tools for adherence and continuum of care in Low and Middle Income countries.

Mandy Govender

Operations & Business Development Lead

Danielle is a multidimensional leader with a background in software engineering, leadership, media and communications. She is an Open Scholar at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica, where she has served as the President of the Guild of Students. Said to be ‘one of the field's brightest young minds’, Danielle believes in the power of tech in edifying society and is happy to be working at the intersection of technology and healthcare. She has a natural affinity for leadership and represents the voice of youth on local, regional and international councils. Danielle aspires to become a world leader in technological representation for the Caribbean and Latin America.

Danielle Mullings

Partnerships & Impact Officer

Asmita is a digital campaigner who specialises in using tools of digital storytelling to spark social change. Prior to her role as Communications & Engagement Manager at Transform Health, she led over twenty feminist digital advocacy campaigns and was the Campaign Lead at Feminism in India, an intersectional feminist media platform. She is passionate about doing her part to build an equitable, free and just world.

Asmita Ghosh

Communications & Engagement Manager

Ndifanji is a global health researcher, entrepreneurial, self-driven and transformative leader with over 7 years of success in various roles including program management, research, policy and advocacy. Adept in strategy formulation, project management, policy development, budgeting, data management, digital health, donor engagement, youth mobilisation and engagement and report writing. Ndifanji also focuses on capacity building, reviewing project activities and data with staff to provide evidence-based recommendations to increase effectiveness and efficiency, and works with project teams at all levels.

Ndifanji Namacha

Policy Manager

Coming from a sports background, Vaidehi has extensive experience in project coordination. She holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool, UK. With Transform Health she works as a coordinator for the Enabling Function secretariat.

Vaidehi Vaidya

Enabling Function Coordinator

Elisa is a French-Russian international relations specialist with experience in public outreach and resource mobilisation in support of refugees (UNHCR) and people-centred digital transformation of health (Transform Health, I-DAIR). She is a certified translator of English, Spanish, Russian and French.

Elisa Mallaeva

Resource & Investment Manager