The pace of technological change today is nothing short of revolutionary, according to Dr Douglas Bettcher, Senior Advisor in the Director-General’s Office at the World Health Organization (WHO).

“I think we find ourselves very strangely in the last couple of years, in what seems to be a really brave new world, brave new reality,” he told attendees at Monday’s Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) event, which focused on how digital innovations could help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

“A case can be made that this communications revolution is even greater and more mind-boggling than what we’ve seen in the past,” Bettcher continued. “Even some pundits in the know compare this to the 19th-century industrial revolution. And what must be clear to us, being confronted with these very, very rapid changes, is that we in the public health community cannot be left standing during this digital innovation, this mass revolution.”

Bettcher, who discussed WHO’s Be He@lthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) program, stressed that the train has already left the station. Industries that harm health are already leveraging artificial intelligence and related technologies. Now, he said, it’s time for those working to improve health to use them too.

The Monday event—hosted as a side event of the 78th World Health Assembly—was a collaboration between GSCF, WHO, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Titled “Empowering Self-Care: Digital Innovations for NCD Prevention and Management,” it highlighted the vital role of self-care and digital technology in tackling NCDs, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration.

“Digital innovation has the power to transform healthcare and how we look after ourselves,” said moderator Shiulie Ghosh. “That is the role of digital innovation in preventing and managing some of the biggest causes of death across the globe.”

She emphasized that digital tools can improve access to self-care and empower individuals living with NCDs to monitor and manage their conditions effectively.

GSCF Director-General Greg Perry added, “We are at a pivotal moment in NCDs,” referring to WHO’s release last week of the zero draft of the political declaration on NCDs and mental health. The draft was published in preparation for the upcoming High-Level Meeting on September 25.

The declaration outlines proposed global targets for 2030:

• 150 million fewer people using tobacco
• 150 million more people managing their hypertension
• 150 million more people gaining access to mental health care

The 10-page draft includes a set of five sub-targets, offering a roadmap for reaching these ambitious goals.

“Digital tools can play a very, very important part,” Perry told the audience. “When we talk about self-care, we’re not just about keeping fit, eating correctly, or even brushing our teeth. We’re talking about the necessary tools for people to self-care.”

These tools may include medicines and digital applications from the industry’s perspective.

“If you add AI and digital applications together with the current and future self-care tools that are available and will be available, we are on the verge of almost a self-care revolution,” Perry said. “These [tools] will be accessible, they’ll be self-managed, and they will have a very high impact.”

Making digital self-care tools useful and trusted

One key challenge with emerging digital self-care tools is the lack of guidance on how to incorporate them into people’s daily lives.

Luis Lourenço of the International Pharmaceutical Federation noted that pharmacists are often the first point of contact when individuals seek advice or support related to digital tools.

“When you talk about the impact of digital tools on primary health care, you can focus on four major areas: prevention, health literacy, diagnosis, and the management of a chronic disease,” Lourenço said.

He added that health literacy is often one of the most complicated aspects.

While having access to information is essential, Lourenço emphasized that it’s not enough. People also need to understand the information and apply it in their routines.

“What’s the point of having information about your blood pressure if you don’t understand what it means or when to incorporate it?” he asked. “What we have today is a lot of access to information, but people rely a lot, mostly on their healthcare partners, healthcare professionals, and pharmacists.”

Without that support, he said, people may have information but not know how to use it effectively.

Lourenço also pointed out that people want to be sure the tools they use are evidence-based and trustworthy.

However, Debbie Rogers, CEO of Reach Digital Health, offered a slightly different perspective, suggesting that if digital tools provide enough value, people will ultimately trust them.

Addressing accessibility, accountability, and inclusion

Another key challenge is user hesitation, particularly among specific populations, about whether they want to use digital tools at all.

“On one hand, we have developed countries. We have higher literacy levels. We have digital-savvy sort of people,” explained Hussain Jafri of the World Patient Alliance. “They are using [digital tools] and giving us very good results. But then you look at the other populations—at the lower- and middle-income countries and the elderly population, the people who are not tech-savvy. They are not really using them.”

Jafri shared that he once downloaded an app designed for people with pre-diabetes but found it too complicated and deleted it after only a few days.

Experts said encouraging adoption also depends on better integration of these tools into healthcare systems, where people feel accountable for the data they enter.

Lourenço noted that if patients knew their doctors were reviewing the data collected in an app, it would likely motivate them to use the tool more consistently.

Jafri stressed that companies developing digital health technologies must involve users, patients, and providers early in the design process, rather than waiting until products are already on the market.

“I think they also need to take into account our input—the input of the people who are going to use [the tools] should also be there while they’re developing these products, so that, you know, once it is out there, people are happy using it,” he said.

Language accessibility is another barrier. Jafri emphasized the importance of localization.

“These [tools] need to be in multiple languages, not just English,” he said, adding that companies should also provide training for providers and patients to ensure successful adoption.

Empowering mothers through technology: South African case study

There are already promising examples of how digital health tools are making a difference, as illustrated by Rogers of Reach Digital Health. She shared a case from South Africa, where hypertension during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality.

“We have a program called MomConnect, where every mother who comes into the clinic can sign up to receive messaging throughout her pregnancy and until her baby is two years old,” Rogers explained. The mothers receive both information and behavior-change tips. They can also ask questions and provide feedback to the system.

Because hypertension is such a critical issue, the National Department of Health wanted to better understand the root causes. They started by asking mothers about their experience during their first antenatal visit: Did they have their blood pressure taken? Were they told what the results were? If so, were they prescribed the appropriate medication?

“It was important to understand that patient journey, understand where the challenges were, and to do this at a national scale,” Rogers said.

Based on the insights gathered, the department introduced targeted training for healthcare workers. This effort helped drive increased demand for quality care from the patients themselves.

“We got mothers to go back to their clinic and say, ‘You didn’t take my blood pressure last time. I want you to take my blood pressure,’ or ‘you didn’t put me on the right medication.'”

Rogers concluded that this initiative “shows the power of being able to empower people, both with information and behavior change, communication knowledge, so they knew what they had to ask for and what they were looking out for.”

Carl Masano of the WHO, speaking from the audience, explained that another tool recently released by the World Health Organization is the Digital Adaptation Kit for Antenatal Care. The kit translates WHO recommendations into machine-readable formats, making integrating them into digital health systems easier.

One specific feature of the kit is a tool for self-monitoring blood pressure among pregnant women diagnosed with hypertensive disorders. That tool will be released next week.

“It’s the first time we’re putting a step in this world and trying to provide standards to improve the quality of digital health interventions we have,” Masano said.

He acknowledged that although a growing number of digital technologies are available, there are still major challenges in ensuring they are evidence-based, equitable, and accessible.

Integrating Digital Tools Into Broader NCD Strategies

As the conversation around digital health tools evolves, experts caution that no single solution will address the full complexity of noncommunicable diseases.

Lourenço noted that while some aspects of NCDs fall under primary prevention, where individuals can be empowered to make healthier choices, others require more structured support. He said that strategic outreach, including digital media, can help move people from “pre-contemplation to contemplation,” encouraging them to recognize risks, develop motivation, and ultimately commit to change.

However, he emphasized that many behaviors tied to NCDs cannot be addressed through self-care alone. These require ongoing guidance and system-level support. Effective management, Lourenço said, demands full integration within a broader framework—” at the policy level, at the health system level, [and] at the community level.”

In this context, digital innovation is not a silver bullet but a key part of a larger ecosystem—one that must be built with intentional design, inclusive access, and cross-sector collaboration to truly transform outcomes in global health.

Image Credits: Marco Verch/Flickr , IFPMA, Elizabeth Poll/MMV, Elaine Fletcher.