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The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has joined the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH), a World Health Organization (WHO)-managed network working to strengthen digital health systems and ensure that the benefits of digital innovation reach everyone.Through GIDH, IPPF will collaborate with governments, health organisations and partners to advance coordinated, country-led approaches to digital health, reduce duplication of efforts and support stronger, more accessible health systems.Why this mattersDigital technologies have enormous potential to transform healthcare, but that transformation must be equitable, inclusive, and driven by the needs of countries and communities. Across many countries, governments are developing national digital health strategies, health information exchanges, interoperability standards, digital identity systems, telehealth frameworks, AI policies, and other digital infrastructure. These developments can create major opportunities for sexual and reproductive health services, but they can also raise important questions around privacy, confidentiality, equity, choice, and access.Collaboration for lasting changeOur participation reflects our commitment to ensuring that advances in digital health contribute to more equitable, inclusive, and accessible healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health and rights. Through our participation, IPPF will work to ensure that these conversations reflect the realities and perspectives of civil society and SRHR providers, including the importance of privacy, rights, equity, inclusion, choice, and person-centred care.Membership also creates opportunities for IPPF to learn from and engage with a wider network of digital health partners, share experiences from across the Federation, and strengthen connections between global digital health developments and what is happening within countries where our Member Associations operate.This is part of IPPF’s broader digital health direction by not simply adopting new technologies, but helping ensure that digital transformation strengthens sustainable health systems, aligns with national strategies and infrastructure, supports interoperability, and advances sexual and reproductive health and rights.This engagement is especially timely as WHO and its partners develop the next Global Strategy on Digital Health for 2028–2033. IPPF will continue working to bring SRHR and civil society perspectives into these and other global digital health discussions.We look forward to working alongside GIDH members and partners to help build a future where digital health innovation advances health, rights and dignity for all.Learn more about the Global Initiative on Digital Health: https://www.who.int/initiatives/global-initiative-on-digital-healthWant to discuss further about digital health at IPPF, including opportunities to collaborate? Please contact Luigi Nuñez (lnunez@ippf.org).

25 September 2024, New York - During his visit to New York to participate in the Future Summit and the UN General Assembly, IPPF Director General Dr Alvaro Bermejo held a side bilateral meeting with Mr Kazuhiko Nakamura, Director General and Assistant Minister for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to promote universal health coverage and women, peace and security.  Dr Bermejo thanked the Government of Japan for the long-standing cooperation with and its consistent support since 1969. Dr Bermejo introduced IPPF and its Member Associations and Collaborative Partners operating in 152 countries, stating that in 2023, IPPF provided 22.4 million services to 71.4 million people worldwide. He further stated that in 2023, thanks to support from the Japanese Government's supplementary budget, IPPF was able to provide life-saving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services to 291,723 people in crisis across four countries; namely Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Ukraine. He stressed that the IPPF and its Member Associations are playing an important role in the growing need for humanitarian assistance worldwide due to the effects of global climate change and increasing conflicts. He also confirmed that the IPPF is actively working on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) issues, which Japan attaches great importance to. Dr Bermejo also referred to the importance of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Japan's leadership and notable pioneering initiatives and activities in this area. In response, Mr Kazuhiko Nakamura, Director General and Ambassador for Global Issues, stated that SRHR is a fundamental component of UHC and that progress in SRHR is essential to achieve UHC. Furthermore, these Mr Nakamura and Dr Bermejo agreed that Japan and the IPPF will further strengthen their cooperation, as it is impossible to fully realise UHC without addressing the SRH needs that the population has. In an increasingly polarised global situation regarding SRHR, Secretary-General Bermejo stressed the importance of balanced voices such as Japan as a bridge to facilitate dialogue in order to prevent global fragmentation. In particular, he noted the need for efforts to shift attention away from using SRHR as a political power struggle and towards the real issue of addressing ways and means to promote gender equality and health in particular.