$0.24 More Per Patient Per Year Investment in Digital Health Can Reduce Non-communicable Diseases

A new report jointly released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) today suggests an additional $0.24 per patient per year investment in digital health interventions, such as telemedicine, mobile messaging, and chatbots, can help save more than two million lives over the next decade from noncommunicable diseases.

These diseases include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases.

This small investment could also avert approximately 7 million acute events and hospitalizations, significantly reducing the strain on healthcare systems worldwide.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin commented in a press release on September 23, 2024, "We call for greater collaboration between the health and tech sectors, including the development of strong digital public infrastructure, essential for the delivery of digital health services that can benefit people everywhere without leaving anyone behind."

The publication" "going Digital for Noncommunicable Diseases: The Case for Action" was launched at an event hosted by the Government of The Gambia during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in collaboration with the ITU and WHO.