Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), looks at the enormous potential of information and communication technologies to improve healthcare and explains how the ITU is helping Commonwealth countries leverage technological advancements.
“Nearly half the world is still not using the internet. There will only be universal health coverage when everyone is connected.”
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) underpin today’s digital economy – throughout the Commonwealth and throughout the world.
This is especially exciting in the healthcare sector because of its potential to improve and even save lives.
From remote surgery to better diagnoses, to an ever-widening array of mobile health applications, technology is making us healthier every day. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technologies, such as skin-disease recognition, could even be deployed on some six billion smartphones in the next few years.
The potential is enormous and the ITU – the United Nation's specialised agency for ICTs – is ready to help lead the charge…
Malcolm Johnson
Deputy Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union
