Introduction: The Digital Promise for Child Health
Digital transformation has the potential to revolutionize how families access care, how health workers deliver services, and how data drive decision-making. For South Asia, where millions of children rely on primary health care, robust digital systems could improve coverage, reduce delays, and empower communities. Yet turning promise into practice requires coherent national architectures, governance, and a child-centered approach to data and AI.
Current Landscape and Challenges in South Asia
Across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and beyond, the region faces high neonatal and under-five mortality, gaps in vaccination, and rising noncommunicable diseases. The digital divide—especially between boys and girls—limits access to health information and services for many adolescents and women. Fragmented health information systems and lack of interoperable data impede coordinated care for children from community clinics to hospital-based services. Without standardized data and national architectures, AI and machine learning cannot realize scalable, equitable improvements in child health outcomes.
Why a Systemic Reboot Is Needed
Experts argue for a shift from project-based pilots to a national digital health architecture that supports interoperability and continuity of care. A coherent framework can enable longitudinal tracking of every child, support immunizations, nutrition, mental health, and emergency readiness, and allow AI to augment clinical decision-making without compromising safety or privacy. The goal is to move from isolated applications to an integrated, life-course approach that spans community health workers, primary care facilities, and specialized services.
Governance, Data, and Ethics
Strong governance is essential to ensure that digital health tools are ethically designed, rights-based, and protective of children. Clear data ownership, access rules, and privacy standards must accompany national AI strategies. Given children’s vulnerabilities, policies should actively incorporate child perspectives and safeguard against stigma, reidentification, and misuse of information. A global data framework could help harmonize standards across borders while respecting local contexts.
Key Strategies for a Scaled, Safe Digital Health System
• National coherence: Develop shared digital public infrastructures and data architectures to enable seamless information exchange across the health system. This allows AI models to learn from comprehensive longitudinal data while maintaining privacy protections.
• Integrated care through the client journey: Build interoperable tools that support the full spectrum of care—from community outreach to vaccines, nutrition, and mental health—reducing duplication and ensuring timely referrals.
• Workforce capacity: Design user-friendly tools and invest in digital literacy for health workers, children, and families to maximize safe, constructive use of digital health services.
• Collaboration: Foster partnerships among governments, academia, industry, and civil society to share lessons, standards, and scalable solutions.
• Innovative use of AI: Apply AI to improve diagnostics, risk-based messaging, supply chain management, and population health surveillance, while embedding safeguards for child protection and rights.
UNICEF’s Role and Regional Commitments
UNICEF in South Asia emphasizes integrating frontier technologies—such as AI chatbots for child mental health, GIS for microplanning, and drones for vaccine delivery—within coherent health architectures. The emphasis remains on equitable access, affordable connectivity, and context-appropriate solutions that fit diverse country settings. A collective push toward scalable, data-driven primary health care is central to achieving child health goals and broader Sustainable Development Targets.
Conclusion: A Path Forward
In the next 6 years, South Asia has an opportunity to reframe digital health around the life course of every child. By prioritizing national digital and data architectures, robust governance, and inclusive design, the region can harness AI and digital tools to improve coverage, equity, and outcomes. The reboot is not merely technical; it is a governance and partnership effort to ensure that digital health serves every child—today and tomorrow.
