Building quality digital health worldwide: how ISfTeH works with WHO

ISfTeH has been formally recognized as a Non-State Actor (NSA) in Official Relations with WHO since 2008, reflecting WHO’s acknowledgment of the Society’s global role in advancing telemedicine, eHealth and digital health. This status means ISfTeH is part of a select group of non-governmental organizations that WHO collaborates with under the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors to support public health goals across Member States.

Being in official relations allows ISfTeH to:

• Engage directly with WHO programmes aligned with the Global Programme of Work.
• Participate in meetings, consultations and expert dialogues that inform WHO policy and strategy.
• Contribute professional expertise and global perspectives on telehealth and digital health.

Contributing to ‘Quality of Care’ in Digital Health

Quality of care is central to both WHO’s digital health vision and ISfTeH’s mission to promote best practices in telemedicine and eHealth. The ISfTeH is conducting systematic review of Digital Health Contribution to Quality of Care and Patient Safety at the Point of Care:, Focused on Services Delivered at Community Health Centres.

Support for the Global Telehealth Community of Practice (GTCoP)

ISfTeH plays a core role in the Global Telehealth Community of Practice (GTCoP), which is an inclusive collaborative platform involving government bodies, implementers, academics, and WHO itself. GTCoP was launched to foster national telehealth communities worldwide, enabling knowledge exchange and alignment with country priorities.
ISfTeH brings its global network and expertise into GTCoP, helping to identify effective telehealth interventions, share best practices, and build policy frameworks that support quality service delivery.
Through GTCoP, ISfTeH supports capacity-building, regulatory insight, and digital literacy efforts that resonate with WHO’s digital health strategic frameworks. The GTCoP also connects directly to WHO’s Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) by supporting shared goals of strengthening digital health systems and aligning resources through collaborative partnerships.

Linking to the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH)

The GIDH is a WHO-managed network aimed at accelerating country-led digital health transformation, with objectives that include:

• Prioritizing digital health needs.
• Aligning resources and partnerships.
• Supporting sustainable implementation of digital health technologies.

Engagement in WHO Governance Events

As a recognized NSA in Official Relations, ISfTeH can provide its members (limitations may apply) with invitations to some of the WHO Regional Committee Meetings or the World Health Assembly and side-events. The calendar of events for the coming year is:

World Health Assembly (WHA)
• 18–23 May 2026
• Geneva, Switzerland

WHO Regional Committee Meetings 2026:

African Region (AFRO)
• 24–28 August 2026
• Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

South-East Asia Region (SEARO)
• 7–10 September 2026
• Dili, Timor-Leste

Region of the Americas (PAHO/AMRO)
• 28 September – 2 October 2026
• Washington, D.C., United States

Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO)
• 13–15 October 2026
• Cairo, Egypt

Western Pacific Region (WPRO)
• 19–23 October 2026
• Manila, Philippines

European Region (EURO)
• 27–29 October 2026
• Copenhagen, Denmark

If you are interested to learn more about how to engage with us in the above activities, contact us at info@isfteh.org.