Mission and objectives
Digital determinants of health are the range of ways in which digital transformations affect health behaviors, outcomes, and healthcare delivery. While digital technologies can strengthen health systems, the negative impacts of living in a digital world are becoming a growing health concern.
Many countries are taking action to mitigate digital harms, particularly to protect children and youth from risks associated with social media and unregulated digital platforms. To date, ministries of health have played a limited role in shaping legislation and regulation to reform digital platforms and just a few countries have issued public health guidance on digital technology use.
The objectives of this session are to:
- Examine the evidence on how social media and digital platforms can harm health and well-being.
- Showcase examples of countries that have implemented regulations to govern digital platforms affecting public health.
- Identify future research priorities and strategies for stronger public health action and accountability.
Intended Audience
- Policymakers and public health officials
- Researchers
- Youth, public health activists and civil society
Expected outcomes
- Increased awareness of the role of public health in regulating digital platforms and protecting people, especially children and adolescents, from digital harms.
- Cross-sectoral dialogue on the opportunities and challenges of digital transformations for public health.
- Identification of best practices for digital platform regulation and mitigating health-related risks of digital technologies.
- Clarity on the role of public health in shaping healthier digital futures.
Format and schedule
This panel will bring together policymakers, public health officials, researchers, activists, digital health experts and civil society to discuss the responsibilities of national, regional and global public health agencies in regulating digital platforms. Learning from responses from across the globe, participants will consider what further normative guidance, governance and public health action is needed to prevent the opportunities of digital transformations being outweighed by negative impacts on individual and societal health and well-being.
Speaker
Professor Ilona Kickbusch (Chair)
Digital Transformations for Health Lab