The Addressing Public Governance Challenges in Digital Health knowledge product guides countries on how to design and implement effective digital health governance, drawing on experiences from Joint Learning Network (JLN) member countries and formative literature. It examines governance dimensions, specifically regulatory instruments, institutional leadership, human and financial resources, and coordination, through case studies from JLN countries including Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine. It was launched in 2026 and is accessible via the JLN website.
Contributors and collaborators for the co-development of Addressing Public Governance Challenges in Digital Health include: Hammond Sarkwah (Ghana Health Service, Ghana), Anthony Adofo Ofosu (Ghana Health Service, Ghana), Kiran Gopal Vaska (National Health Authority, India), Himanshu Burad (National Health Authority, India), Anis Fuad (Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia), Agus Rachamanto (Ministry of Health, Indonesia), Jusran Mawardi (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) Kesehatan, Indonesia), Diana Kamar (Ministry of Health, Kenya), Evalyne Khamasi (National Health Insurance Fund, Kenya), Julia Ouko (National Health Insurance Fund, Kenya), John Ulysses Galo (Department of Health, Philippines), Zdravko Grubac (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Zuhra Osmanovic-Pasic (World Bank), Yevhen Batura (National Health Service of Ukraine, Ukraine). Facilitation of co-development for this was provided by Niki O’Brien (Specialist, World Bank), Tiago Cravo Oliveira Hashiguchi (Senior Specialist, World Bank), Malarvizhi Veerappan (Program Manager, World Bank), and Mahlet Gizaw (JLN Health Specialist, World Bank).
The knowledge product provides information on core concepts in understanding digital health governance (e.g., what is governance, principles of good governance, why digital health governance is important); unpacking digital health governance (with a focus on regulatory instruments, institutional leadership, governance of human and financial resources, and coordination); putting digital health governance into practice with key activities to develop the core elements outlined; and lessons from governance practices in other sectors. Country examples from JLN countries are included.
The report can serve as a practical backbone for countries developing their digital health governance. Readers can use the report as a modular toolkit, applying guidance from the chapters and embedded case studies on regulation, institutions, financing/HR, coordination, implementation, and measurement to design or refine their country’s approach to digital health governance.
Contact: To ask questions or make comments, readers can contact: [email protected]
Technical facilitation for the Collaborative is provided by the World Bank in partnership with the Gates Foundation and the Digital Health Exemplars Program, including the Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, eHealth Lab Ethiopia, and the McKinsey Health Institute. Financial support from the Gates Foundation and the Government of Japan is gratefully acknowledged.
