Harnessing digital technologies for the TB response

While tuberculosis (TB) remains an urgent global public health threat today, information and communication technology (ICT) presents opportunities to address this challenge on different fronts. The rate by which ICT has developed and diversified in recent years can only be described as revolutionary and the consequent opportunities are huge. It is estimated that by early 2020 globally, there were nearly 10 billion mobile phone connections and over 50% of the world’s population was online. Smartphones are progressively replacing less sophisticated mobile phones all over the world and presenting new potential applications of digital health in many aspects of TB care, ranging from surveillance to eLearning.

WHO places digital health at the heart of the End TB Strategy. The Organization supports countries to harness digital technologies to provide people-centred care and support, improve access to information, and prevent and treat TB more effectively. This is done by promoting research,  analyzing evidence and updating guidance, knowledge and resource sharing, as well as providing technical support to countries.