From November 27 to 29, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Digital Health and Innovation (DHI) partnered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Lesotho to host a three-day workshop aimed at assessing the country’s current digital health capabilities and developing a strategic plan for its Digital Health Strategy 2025–2030.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders to evaluate Lesotho’s progress in digital health and identify goals for future development. Dr. Mesfin Zbelo, WHO’s Lesotho Team Lead and Advisor on Policy, Research, and Integrated Service Delivery, opened the session by emphasizing the role of digital health in enhancing healthcare access and service delivery across the country.
The event was officially opened by Mrs. Maneo Moliehi Ntene, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health, who stressed the importance of involving higher education institutions in capacity-building efforts to advance digital health initiatives. Her remarks underscored the need for collaborative efforts to foster a more robust digital health ecosystem.
Mr. Tsele Moloeli, the ICT Director for Health, highlighted the strong commitment of Lesotho’s current health leadership to integrating digital health solutions into the national health system. However, he raised concerns regarding fragmented efforts and the potential for duplicated initiatives by various partners, which could undermine the sustainability and effectiveness of digital health programs.
Key issues discussed during the workshop included:
- Limited workforce capacity in digital health.
- Inadequate infrastructure and unreliable internet connectivity.
- Difficulties in reaching geographically isolated communities.
- Digital exclusion of marginalized groups, particularly women and girls.
In response to these challenges, a draft of the national Digital Health Strategy 2025–2030 was developed with input from the Ministry of Health. To ensure the strategy was comprehensive and inclusive, a half-day workshop was held on December 10, 2024, where key stakeholders reviewed the proposed strategic objectives and corresponding actions.
The final draft of the strategy will be presented to the Ministry of Health for endorsement, marking a key milestone in Lesotho’s efforts to leverage digital health technologies to strengthen healthcare delivery and address systemic challenges in the sector.
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