The threat of communicable diseases continues to grow, and while low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are bearing the greater burden of their impact, they present a global challenge. At GSMA Mobile for Development, we have started new research on how the mobile industry can help.
Fighting communicable diseases is a key standalone target under UN Sustainable Development Goal no. 3, focussed on Good Health and Wellbeing. While the reach of these transmissible diseases is global, LMICs are disproportionately affected. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 8 of the top 10 causes of death in LMICs were attributable to communicable diseases. Climate change is also exacerbating the risk of these diseases, putting resource-constrained health systems under greater pressure than ever before.
Momentum behind the global digital health agenda has grown exponentially in recent years, particularly since the rapid increase in the use of digital technology seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased appetite from health systems to find innovative solutions to the financial and public health pressures they face. Following the launch of the WHO’s five-year Global Strategy on Digital Health in 2021, more than 120 WHO Member States have developed a national digital health strategy. Last year, the WHO launched a Global Initiative on Digital Health to support country-level efforts in delivering on their digital health strategy. Furthermore, at this year’s 78th World Health Assembly, member states agreed to extend the WHO’s five-year strategy and committed to developing its next iteration for the 2028–2033 period.
The opportunity for mobile in advancing digital health for communicable disease management
The mobile industry is uniquely positioned to offer and enable solutions to advance digital health to combat communicable diseases. Many mobile operators already- or have increasing interest to- deliver or play an enabling role in digital health services.
With several stages of the communicable disease lifecycle (including prediction, prevention, diagnosis and management), there are a variety of entry points. Further to underlying connectivity, mobile operators have a role to play in telemedicine for remote consultation, digital tools to improve disease surveillance, and mobile health apps to strengthen communicable disease management. The mobile industry can also bring significant expertise to the intersection between digital health and communicable diseases, including in areas such as data analytics, cloud computing, IoT (Internet of Things) and cyber security.
Our research aims at GSMA Mobile for Development
So how can the industry go further in extending its impact in the global fight against communicable diseases? This is the key question that we want to answer in our ongoing research project, which will result in a publicly available report in early 2026, in addition to a series of practical discussions, including workshops, plus exclusive insights for mobile operators with interests in exploring digital health initiatives.
As part of our research initiative examining the role of the mobile industry in advancing digital health to tackle communicable diseases, we will explore:
- Current and emerging mobile network operator (MNO)-led or -supported digital health services and solutions; what is working well, and where can lessons be learnt?
- How the mobile industry can play a greater role in this space, including:
- providing insights on the key barriers and enablers for entering and expansion within the global digital health market.
- understanding the factors driving success which support the development of sustainable and scalable digital health solutions.
Would you like to contribute to our research? Get in touch to find out more!
As part of our research, we are keen to involve a wide variety of actors across the mobile industry starting from mobile operators and extending to digital and global health organisations and the wider international development community. Being involved in our research will provide an opportunity to:
- Be a core contributor to knowledge-sharing activities, including in-person roundtable discussions.
- Gain early access to research findings, plus the opportunity to be acknowledged and/or profiled as a key contributor in the final report.
- Understand varying strategic interests across the global digital healthcare market and raise the profile of your organisation within it.
- Explore how mobile operators can enhance their social impact through tackling communicable diseases.
To find out more, or to express your interest in contributing to this GSMA Mobile for Development research initiative, please contact Clara Hewitt (Senior Insights Manager, GSMA Mobile for Development): chewitt@gsma.com.