Ensuring Health for All: Examining the Role of Digital Health in India

The use of digital technologies has emerged as a crucial aspect of the functioning of the welfare State around the world, facilitating the acquisition of fundamental entitlements necessary for sustaining life. In India, the digital technology in healthcare has emerged as pivotal pillar in the delivery of health services. These digital health interventions have the potential to attain the elevated levels of health and access to services that promote and safeguard the overall health and well-being of India’s population along with the universal health coverage in a manner that is efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely, and safe. Therefore, the Indian government initiated the Digital India campaign in 2015 as a flagship programme and the National Health Policy of 2017 that highlights the importance of a comprehensive digital health infrastructure, which includes the Digital Health Mission in India, currently known as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The COVID-19 pandemic has impeded our advancement towards attaining the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3). It can be attained with the aid of digital technologies that are both safe and secure. Therefore, this chapter aims to examine and deliberate on the impact of digital technology on healthcare transformation in India, and its potential to aid in achieving SDG 3, which pertains to health and well-being for all.