WHO cooperates on digital health

9.4.2025 | THD-Pressestelle

WHO/Europe has designated the European Campus Rottal-Inn (DIT-ECRI) at Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Germany as a collaborating centre on digital health. Collaborating centres carry out activities in support of various WHO programmes in areas such as medicine, public health, nursing and midwifery, and more.

DIT-ECRI will support WHO in strengthening digital health systems, including through policy and strategy development, training and capacity building, as well as research and evaluation of digital health interventions. The collaboration is expected to last 4 years with the possibility of extension.

“We are proud to be among 27 WHO partners in Germany and the only one in the field of digital health. We are committed to supporting WHO's vision of using digital technologies to transform health systems and reach underserved populations, as outlined in the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14),” said Prof. Dr. Georgi Chaltikyan, head of the new center. Dean Prof. Dr. Christian Steckenbauer sees this as “a milestone in health research and in the internationalization of the European Campus”.

Specifically, DIT-ECRI’s contributions will include providing data and analyses on existing digital health policies and ethics frameworks, identifying potential gaps, and providing evidence-based recommendations for policy enhancements. DIT-ECRI will collaborate with WHO to revise and refine a comprehensive toolkit covering the planning, deployment, and evaluation of digital health solutions. To improve workforce competencies in digital health, DIT-ECRI will develop targeted training materials, coordinate capacity-building initiatives, and guide the upskilling of health care professionals. Under WHO’s coordination, DIT-ECRI will also engage in research and evaluation of digital health interventions to ensure a robust evidence base for continued innovation and improvement.

“Modernizing health care and making sure that digital tools are safe and accessible is a priority for us at WHO. Germany is a key player in advancing digital health in Europe, and this is why we are looking forward to working together with DIT-ECRI. This partnership will help us translate research into practical solutions that strengthen service delivery and improve patient outcomes across the region,” said Dr David Novillo Ortiz, Regional Adviser for Data, Evidence and Digital Health at WHO/Europe.

The new collaboration will support the implementation of the Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030 and the WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health.

Bild (ECRI/THD): One of 27 partners of the World Health Organisation in Germany and the only one in the field of digital health: Prof. Dr Georgi Chaltikyan with team from the European Campus Rottal-Inn at Deggendorf Institute of Technology.