For years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated that spending on health is, in fact, an investment in health. In a recent report, WHO extends this perspective to digital health, claiming that expenditures on telemedicine and chatbots can save lives and yield billions in savings.
WHO has shifted its view on digital
Today, 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services due to economic or geographical barriers. Meanwhile, 5.52 billion people globally use the Internet (as of October 2024), which accounts for 67.5% of the world’s population. Of these, 96.2% go online using a mobile phone. With smartphones becoming more accessible and affordable, they present a viable point of care for those with limited healthcare access. They can also support preventive care for patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Until recently, healthcare organizations have avoided calculating the potential benefits of digital health, often viewing digitization strictly as a cost. A clear distinction existed between healthcare and digital health.
It was not until 2005 that the World Health Assembly passed a resolution on eHealth, urging member states to develop long-term strategies for eHealth services and infrastructure. In 2018, WHO Member States approved a resolution on Digital Health, acknowledging the role of digital technologies in overcoming healthcare barriers. Since then, WHO has increasingly recognized digital health as a tool for addressing global health challenges. A significant shift in WHO’s approach came with the global strategy on digital health for 2020–2025.
Numbers instead of assumptions
A recent report by WHO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) marks another milestone in WHO's approach to digital transformation.
According to Going Digital for Noncommunicable Diseases: the Case for Action, every additional $0.24 per patient per year invested in telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots could save over 2 million lives from chronic diseases and result in $199 billion in economic benefits over the next decade.
WHO has never been more explicit in its position: digital transformation is now an integral part of healthcare, and digital health solutions are vital to combating the NCD epidemic. Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases account for 74% of global deaths and have long consumed a significant portion of healthcare budgets. NCDs also place substantial strain on health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to healthcare.
In addition to causing preventable deaths, NCDs are projected to cost the global economy $30 trillion in lost productivity by 2030. Adding mental health disorders to this estimate brings the total to $47 trillion.
The time factor of NCDs that digital health can address
Traditional medicine often struggles with diseases driven by lifestyle factors that develop over the years and remain hidden. Mobile health apps enable real-time health monitoring and allow patients to adjust treatment. Chatbots are a low-cost way to enhance access to health information and support healthy lifestyle changes by helping users quit smoking or eat better. Their scalability and low cost make them ideal for widespread implementation.
In the report, WHO gives a few examples of how the use of digital technology can help to overcome the challenges of NCD prevention and control:
- Challenge: NCDs have multiple risk factors, including lifestyle and behavioral factors. Solution: Portable digital devices enable real-time service provision and behavior change content delivery directly to individuals to support self-management.
- Challenge: NCDs require regular monitoring and continuous management. Solution: Digital tools can overcome barriers to accessing healthcare, including geographic distance, transportation, and cost, to facilitate continuity of care.
- Challenge: NCDs evolve over the long term and can require specialized care. Solution: Access to real-time data and decision support tools allow professionals to make more informed decisions to improve health outcomes.
The report highlights that while digital health’s potential is already being realized in high-income countries, almost a third of the population in low-income countries still lacks Internet access. Moreover, digital transformation requires collaboration across the public and private sectors and support from international organizations.
Strengthening preventive care and empowering patients to manage their health are critical steps, and WHO posits that digital tools could be transformative in this fight.
It’s not the “nice-to-have”
Going digital is not just an option but an urgent need. A recent study, A scoping review and expert consensus on digital determinants of health by The London School of Economics (LSE) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, identified 127 health determinants that have emerged or evolved alongside society's digital transformation, with 37 digital.
The study emphasizes that 30 of these determinants, particularly digital ones, require immediate policy action to keep pace with technological evolution. It highlights the "digital divide," where vulnerable groups face barriers to digital health access, necessitating inclusive approaches to digital literacy and connectivity.
Moreover, with the advent of breakthrough technologies like AI and spatial computing, we are facing a “second digital divide,” which can further widen disparities over the next 30 years.
At the ICT&health World Conference 2025, the WHO’s findings on digital health’s high returns will be a focal point for discussion. This event unites global healthcare leaders and innovators to explore impactful digital solutions that are redefining healthcare delivery and sustainability worldwide.
