The global health system is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed glaring weaknesses: fragmented health records, opaque vaccine distribution, poor data visibility, and lack of real-time decision-making tools. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) offers a unified approach to health system strengthening — one that is open, interoperable, and rights-based. By leveraging digital identity, verifiable registries, and consent-based data sharing, DPI enables resilient, inclusive, and people-centered health systems that are ready for current and future public health challenges.
Fragmentation Is Undermining Health Outcomes
Globally, more than half of the population lacks access to essential health services. In many countries, health information is stored in disparate systems that cannot communicate. Patient records are often incomplete, and critical data needed for policymaking or pandemic preparedness is inaccessible or unreliable.
This fragmentation leads to wasteful duplication, inefficient resource allocation, and limited accountability. Health programs often operate in isolation — immunization systems, insurance platforms, and hospital information systems remain siloed and disconnected from broader digital ecosystems.
DPI Can Rebuild Trust and Resilience in Health Systems
Digital Public Infrastructure changes the game by providing an integrated digital foundation that links people, providers, and platforms.
Key DPI capabilities in the health domain include:
- Digital identity and registries that uniquely identify patients, healthcare professionals, and facilities across the system.
- Interoperable health records that can be securely shared across public and private institutions with appropriate consent.
- Data exchanges and open APIs that facilitate real-time disease surveillance, eligibility verification, and claims processing.
- Consent management frameworks that respect patient rights and enable cross-platform data flow under secure governance.
Together, these functions support universal health coverage, personalized care, and improved health system accountability.
Global Examples: ABDM, DIVOC, and France’s Health Data Hub
India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is one of the most comprehensive health DPI implementations globally. It integrates patient IDs, provider registries, hospital databases, and insurance systems under one umbrella. Patients are empowered to store and share their health records, book teleconsultations, and access pharmacies digitally — all through a decentralized, API-enabled ecosystem.
During the pandemic, India also deployed DIVOC, a digital platform to manage vaccination workflows and issue verifiable certificates. It processed more than two billion certificates across multilingual interfaces and offline modes, enabling equitable access even in rural and tribal areas.
Meanwhile, France’s Health Data Hub aggregates health data from hospitals, insurers, and research institutions. Its interoperability layer allows secure analytics and machine learning, empowering researchers and policymakers to improve healthcare delivery and innovation.
These platforms exemplify how DPI can be a public good, serving both citizens and systems.
DPI Beyond the Pandemic
While much of the global conversation around digital health infrastructure was catalyzed by COVID-19, DPI extends far beyond pandemic response.
It enables:
- Continuity of care through longitudinal records
- Smart referrals between levels of care
- Targeted subsidies and insurance claims verification
- Integrated responses to environmental and social health determinants
DPI also lays the groundwork for “One Health” strategies that span human, animal, and environmental health — a critical shift in an era of zoonotic diseases and climate-linked health risks.
What This Means for Policymakers
- Integrate DPI into national health strategies - Move beyond digital health apps toward cohesive infrastructure. Anchor DPI in national health policy and funding frameworks.
- Build inclusive and multilingual systems - Ensure accessibility through local language content, assisted onboarding, and feature-phone compatible tools.
- Empower patients with control over their data - Implement consent-based mechanisms that allow patients to authorize access to their health data while maintaining privacy and trust.
- Support ecosystem-wide innovation - Encourage third-party developers, startups, and NGOs to build interoperable health tools atop government DPI platforms.
- Ensure ethical and rights-based governance - Develop enforceable laws that address data protection, grievance redress, and the prevention of algorithmic harm.
Conclusion
Digital health is no longer a luxury — it is an essential infrastructure for human development. But isolated digital interventions are not enough. DPI offers a path toward integrated, inclusive, and responsive health systems that work for everyone.
By adopting DPI principles and investing in robust digital foundations, countries can ensure that no one is left behind — not during a pandemic, and not in the everyday delivery of care. Smart health for all is not just a goal; with DPI, it becomes a design principle.
