Dra. Fernándes
CMIO, Ministry of Health
Chair of the Regional Public-Private Commission for Inclusive Digital Health

Opening Remarks
REGIONAL ANNUAL DIGITAL HEALTH CONNECTATHON OF Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is an honor and a privilege to kick off this event by sharing with you how the efforts to strengthen the foundations of digital health in Latin America and the Caribbean have borne fruit.

First, thanks to improved regional public health surveillance systems, we were able to detect and prevent the spread of the X Virus, preventing the devastating effects of previous pandemics, like COVID-19.

Also, 85% LAC’s citizens have expressed their satisfaction with the digital services offered by their governments to enhance the quality and efficiency of medical care.

This year, we reduced prescription errors by 47%, and we screened 76% of the region’s population for high blood pressure and diabetes, with the help of digital tools on cell phones, helping detect new cases so we can intervene early.

We have saved citizens time and money by safely expanding telehealth services, focusing on promoting medical care and prevention.

We have helped combat burnout in medical workers, providing them confidential telehealth services for mental well-being and behavioral health.

Some countries have significantly expanded the use of online appointments, electronic prescriptions, and home deliveries of treatment. Others have empowered community health workers in remote areas with digital tools that support their decision-making processes and improve the quality of home care visits.

Finally, this year, we received the recognition of the world’s most digitally secure region.

But we are not even close to being done with this process.

Our task force on software as a medical device has been studying gender bias in recommendations for heart patients. Although we have identified the problem in the design phase, we have not yet corrected it in the implementation.

While the pilot programs for using machine learning technology in skin cancer screenings at public healthcare centers have yielded important lessons, there are still serious obstacles for diagnosing lesions in dark-skinned patients.

Meanwhile, a new regional search engine is being developed to allow people with disabilities to find accessible websites, but there is still much work to be done, in partnership with the business sector, to ensure inclusive software is built into more devices and mobile apps. Our emerging technologies task force is just getting started.

Even though we have reduced the digital divide by 32%, there is still work to be done! For that reason, I am pleased to announce that next month, our new Director of Inclusion will spearhead this region-wide effort

In the area of interoperability, we’ve made great strides on our Pan-American Highway for interoperable health data. Now 94% of countries have adopted national standards for interoperability, and last year 15 countries successfully exchanged patient summaries to improve continuity of care in cross-border telemedicine

This year’s Connectathon focuses on social determinants of health. In addition to the health sector, we now have the participation of representatives from public and private services in education, labor markets, and social protection. This crucial step allows us to maintain a complete approach to the population’s health, rather than just limiting ourselves to medical care.

I would like to thank all stakeholders in the region for their efforts to continually improve the health systems and for their commitment to equity and digital inclusion in this sector

But I would also like to ask you to join me in taking a moment to thank and congratulate everyone who, over the years, made it possible for us to be here today: decision-makers, government leaders, professionals, businesspeople, patients, multilateral organizations, and civil society associations that actively championed digital transformation processes to improve health, despite obstacles, setbacks, budget constraints, rapidly changing evidence, political costs, and the effort it required

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from political theorist John Homer Schaar:

I can’t wait to see what we will create next.