Pakistan is drawing on regional experience as it develops its national Digital Health strategy, with experts from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka joining Pakistani government and private-sector stakeholders for a technical discussion in Islamabad.

The session, titled “Sharing Regional Experiences on the Digital Health Pathway,” was convened by Globesight and the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) on September 1, bringing together specialists to exchange practical lessons on digital health systems and integrated primary healthcare.

The discussion comes as the PDA advances work on Pakistan’s Digital Health Sectoral Plan and consults stakeholders on ways to incorporate Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) into priority areas of healthcare under the Unified National Health Framework.

Participants examined how countries in the region have approached digital infrastructure, interoperability, health-data management and the delivery of primary healthcare services.

The session also provided Pakistan with an opportunity to assess international experiences while considering how successful digital health models could be adapted to local institutional, technical and infrastructure conditions.

M J Sear, Vice Chairperson of the PDA, said the session focused on three key questions: the essential requirements for achieving genuine interoperability across health systems, the common pitfalls that have affected national digital health programmes, and how digital architecture can translate into better healthcare delivery.

Regional models offer lessons for Pakistan

Experts presented examples from their respective countries, highlighting both progress and challenges in building integrated health systems.

Indonesia’s Integrated Primary Healthcare (ILP) model was among the initiatives discussed. The programme has expanded from nine pilot locations to approximately 86% national coverage through interoperable digital systems.

Participants also examined Bangladesh’s efforts to digitally integrate union-level primary healthcare units and Sri Lanka’s experience of involving doctors in health-data review systems.

The discussions highlighted that successful digital health transformation requires more than simply adopting technology. Strong institutions, compatible systems, reliable infrastructure and effective data-use mechanisms are also essential for long-term implementation.

Dr Widyaretna Buenastuti, Director at Inke Maris & Associates in Indonesia, said Indonesia’s experience with the nationwide expansion of its Satu Sehat programme demonstrated the importance of adapting digital strategies to different regional capacities.

She said a national policy could provide an important foundation, but governments should avoid assuming that every province has identical infrastructure, technical capabilities or institutional capacity.

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Focus on interoperability and primary healthcare

The exchange comes as Pakistan seeks to build a more connected healthcare system through digital infrastructure.

Interoperability remains a key challenge because healthcare institutions and service providers need to be able to securely exchange and use information across different systems.

Experts stressed the importance of developing digital architecture that ultimately improves services for patients and healthcare workers rather than focusing solely on technological deployment.

The session forms part of Globesight’s wider South-South knowledge exchange programme, which aims to facilitate collaboration and share policy experiences on primary healthcare and digital public infrastructure.

It also builds on Globesight’s recently published regional MNCH Policy Report, which examines healthcare reforms across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The report provides cross-country lessons that could help inform the next phase of maternal, newborn and child health reforms across the region.

Globesight and the PDA are expected to continue consultations with national and regional stakeholders as Pakistan develops its Digital Health Sectoral Plan.

The ongoing process is aimed at creating a more integrated, effective and inclusive digital health ecosystem capable of strengthening primary healthcare delivery and improving the use of health data across the country.