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From 27 to 29 November 2024, WHO's Department of Digital Health and Innovation (DHI), in collaboration with the Lesotho Ministry of Health (MOH), conducted a three-day workshop to assess the current state of digital health maturity in Lesotho and develop strategic objectives for the country's national Digital Health Strategy 2025–2030.
Dr Mesfin Zbelo, WHO Lesotho Team Lead and Advisor on Policy, Research, and Integrated Service Delivery welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of advancing digital health systems to improve healthcare delivery across Lesotho.
The workshop was officially opened by Mrs. Maneo Moliehi Ntene, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health. Addressing the participants, she underscored the importance of engaging institutions of higher education in building capacity for digital health.
Mr. Tsele Moloeli, ICT Director for Health, highlighted the strong commitment of current MOH leadership to using digital health to strengthen and improve health services. However, he also raised concerns about challenges such as fragmented development and implementation of digital health solutions by various partners, which often lead to duplication of efforts and unsustainable outcomes.
Key issues discussed during the workshop included:
- Limited workforce capacity in digital health.
- Inadequate infrastructure and internet connectivity.
- Challenges in reaching geographically isolated communities.
- The digital exclusion of marginalized groups, particularly women and girls.
Following the workshop, a draft national Digital Health Strategy 2025–2030 was developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health. To ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach, a half-day workshop was held on 10 December 2024 with key stakeholders to review the strategic objectives and corresponding key actions. The finalized strategy will now be presented to the Ministry of Health for endorsement, marking a significant milestone in leveraging digital health to strengthen and improve healthcare services across Lesotho.
