On 23 May 2024, the IFMSA-Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) hosted a webinar titled « Next-Gen Healthcare: Introduction to the DTH-Lab and Digital Health Opportunities » in collaboration with the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab). This virtual event brought together 23 medical students and young health advocates from the EMR region to explore the transformative potential of digital health technologies and the crucial role of youth in driving this change.
Background and Context
This webinar is part of the IFMSA-EMR’s regional priority mega campaign on Digital Transformation in Healthcare. This series of webinars aims to enhance the knowledge and awareness of IFMSA members by engaging with various stakeholders from the digital health ecosystem. The goal is to prepare participants to engage meaningfully in digital health initiatives, explore opportunities in the field and initiate projects at the national level, equipping them with the skills necessary for the digital transformation era in healthcare.
Webinar Highlights
The first webinar, led by Regional Youth Champion for Northern Africa and Western Asia, Imane Lakbachi, kicked off with a comprehensive presentation on the background and work of the DTH-Lab, emphasizing its mission and goals.
The DTH-Lab aims to implement The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030’s recommendations by making them tangible for decision-makers and catalyzing efforts towards their implementation. The Lab’s vision is to ensure that digital health transformations are led by Health for All values, delivering equitable benefits for the health, well-being and safety of young people and their communities.
Realizing these recommendations requires an urgent and multi-faceted approach. The dynamic nature of the DTH-Lab enables several complementary functions to be pursued simultaneously and allows the prioritization of pathways to shift according to changing levels of maturity and strategic opportunities.
Participants also discussed the necessary actions for young people to thrive in a digital world. These include enfranchising young people to co-design digital health systems, adopting a value-based approach to digital and data governance and recognizing the digital ecosystem as a key determinant of health.
Meaningful Youth Engagement
The webinar highlighted the DTH-Lab’s commitment to meaningful youth engagement, ensuring that young people, especially adolescent girls, young women, and marginalized groups, are at the forefront of digital health transformations. The DTH-Lab offers various engagement opportunities, including the Regional Youth Champions Program, which involves a diverse group of young leaders from around the world. These Youth champions provide insights, advocate for youth inclusion, and help co-design and promote the adoption of a blueprint for digital-first health systems that are responsive to young people’s health needs and strengthen digital health citizenship.
Conclusion
The webinar concluded with a vibrant discussion on the future of digital health and the importance of youth involvement. Participants left with a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges in digital health and a renewed commitment to advocate for youth-centered digital health systems. This webinar is part of a three-part series and subsequent webinars are planned over the following months.
The DTH-Lab remains dedicated to empowering young people to lead the way in digital health, and we look forward to continuing this journey with the support and collaboration of our global network.
Imane Lakbachi is a youth and gender equality advocate from Morocco, she is the Director of Network Engagement at IYAFP, the Founder of Concealed Narratives, and a TransformNorms Fellow at the Apolitical Foundation.
Youth Empowerment | SRHR | Digital Advocacy | Human Rights | Sustainable Development
Imane Lakbachi is a human rights advocate with a background in computer science. She is the Director of Network Engagement at IYAFP, and the Founder of Concealed Narratives; a local youth-led initiative using digital advocacy and storytelling to raise awareness around women and girls issues in Morocco. Imane is also a Youth Reference Committee Member at the African Union, one of the Co-chairs of the Digital Experience Sub-Committee at PMNCH, a CEE Fellow at IREX, a Generation Democracy Member at IRI, a Women Deliver Young Leaders Program and Fora’s Global Summit Alumna and a Diana Award Winner 2022. Imane is incredibly passionate about sustainable development and is working with international NGOs, civil society organizations, and foundations on meaningful adolescent and youth engagement.
