PDA and Health Services Academy Explore Collaboration on Digital Health

A digital health system can see further than any single clinician, but it takes research and trained people to turn that into better care and give the right direction.

The Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) hosted Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, Islamabad (HSA), for a meeting with Dr. Sohail Munir, Chairperson, PDA, on strategic collaboration to accelerate Pakistan's digital health transformation.

Dr. Sohail briefed the Vice Chancellor on the Authority's work on digital transformation, interoperability and data governance. HSA shared its position as Pakistan's premier public health institution, with established strength in research, policy support and workforce development. The discussion covered digital health governance, interoperable health data systems, evidence-based policymaking and capacity building.

Both organisations agreed to begin work on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a framework for collaboration in:

• Establishing shared governance arrangements for digital health.
• Advancing health data interoperability and common standards across systems.
• Strengthening policy development through research-backed advisory support.
• Building capacity and digital skills across the health workforce.
• Supporting research and innovation in digital health.
• Strengthening integrated health information systems across federal, provincial and district levels.

Focal persons will be nominated on both sides to carry the work forward.

The judgement to use the digital health systems PDA builds has to be developed, and that is what an institution like HSA brings to the table. Pakistan's digital health transformation will be stronger for having its research community inside the design, not downstream of it.