The European Commission and WHO launch digital health initiative to strengthen global health security

June 5, 2023
Partnership with a goal of better health for all.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and European Commission have announced the launch of a digital health partnership.

In June 2023, WHO will take up the European Union (EU) system of digital COVID-19 certification to establish a global system that will help facilitate global mobility and protect citizens across the world from on-going and future health threats, including pandemics. This is the first building block of the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) that will develop a wide range of digital products to deliver better health for all.

This partnership will include close collaboration in the development, management and implementation of the WHO GDHCN system, benefitting from the European Commission’s ample technical expertise in the field. A first step is to ensure that the current EU digital certificates continue to function effectively.

The first building block of the global WHO system becomes operational in June 2023 and aims to be progressively developed in the coming months.

WHO release