On 8 March 2024, International Women’s Day, WHO/Europe will host an online roundtable discussion to present its latest study, “The role of digital health technologies in women’s health, empowerment, and gender equality”. Its findings underscore the transformative potential of digital health tools in advancing women’s health and fostering gender equality.
The study
The study highlights how digital tools, such as mobile apps and telemedicine, can benefit women by improving access to health-care services, enhancing maternal health, providing essential health information, and empowering women to have more autonomy. In particular, the study found digital tools to be useful in areas related to gynaecology, obstetrics, psychiatry, nutrition, and physical activity. By tracking symptoms and medication intake in real-time, women can improve health management while also receiving support for conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Notably, digital technologies can be helpful in managing pregnancies and the post-partum period. For example, digital services can provide information about pharmacological interventions suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding. By offering emotional support, they can also serve as an important confidence boost.
The WHO/Europe review also discovered that women can gain more control over their health by utilizing digital technologies. By facilitating access to information, support networks, and health-care services in a secure and private manner, digital solutions equip women to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
The event
The one-hour event will serve as a platform for discussion of the key findings of the study, as well as challenges and potential solutions for widespread uptake of digital health tools. Women make up a growing share of the global offline population, as they often face limited access to technologies as well as cultural and socioeconomic barriers. These factors exacerbate the gender digital divide and hinder the improvement of women’s health and empowerment.
The event will be hosted in English and Russian. It is open to the public, including digital health developers, policy-makers, researchers, health-care practitioners, as well as representatives of patient advocacy and gender equality groups. Please use the registration link if you are interested in taking part.