ICTworks

Way back in 2008, the mHealth Alliance launched an annual conference celebrating digital health. Even thought I wasn’t in healthcare at the time, I attended this first event, and was duly impressed.

It wasn’t just me. By 2009, the mHealth Summit had Ted Turner and Bill Gates discussing how mHealth could radically change health outcomes. In fact, I remember Karl Brown quipping that mHealth rose up and ate eHealth, a much larger and more establish term in the early aughts.

Fast forward to 2020, and the Global Digital Health Forum is a key ICT4D conference. It is the place to understand where ICT4D is headed overall, and the role of digital health in international development. There is really only one question to ask: You’re going, right?

Sign Up Now to Attend – Free for LMIC Participants!

Here are four reasons why you should join me in attending every year – regardless if your working in digital health initiatives or not. GDHF is even free for attendees from low- and middle-income countries!

1. Premier ICT4D (not just Health) Event

Healthcare has more funding than education, which has more funding than agriculture, which has more funding that the other sectors, hence, we should all be watching digital health to see what the future will bring across ICT4D.

The health sector was the first to embrace mobile phones and data, and leverage both for mobile data collection. That begat a revolution in MERL Tech that continues today. Health was also the first to have global standards, implementation scorecards, and debate each innovation across a global practitioner network.

Where the health ICT4D sector goes, everyone else follows. This alone is a great reason why you should attend, learn, and connect.

2. Key Thought Leaders Attend

When Bill Gates attended in 2009, he said that new technology innovations were not relevant for frontline health workers. Thankfully, we’ve moved on from that misstep and digital health is a major funding stream for the Gates Foundation.

Since then, GDHF has moved on to showcase the key country leaders and decision makers that move digital health from brilliant ideas to impactful projects. This year, we’ll have WHO and Ministry leaders sharing their ideas and interventions with us.

Just check out the impressive GDHF 2020 schedule.

3. Everyone Else Will Be There

Past the big names, GDHF is where all the other names come together to talk, network, and have the conversations that lead to new business impact. You’ll meet everyone who is someone in this year’s virtual networking sessions.

GDHF is also where IntraHealth staff come together from multiple different countries to share good times and great sessions with our peers. These talks directly lead to better collaborations and new working relationships around the world.

Make sure your staff is in the know – register now!

4. Big (and Small) Decisions Happen

All sorts of major (and minor) decisions come from GDHF events. Last year, my team was able to show a Ministry client our new iHRIS software, which directly led to increased support and heightened timelines for nationwide implementation.

In prior years, session discussions led to new friendships that turned into employment for multiple people. Others met colleagues and formed partnerships between organizations that still exist today.  A few of the many positive decisions that come from GDHF conference side events.

Join us now – you could be the next GDHF success story!