By Alyssa Cawley Gonzalez, TechChange Digital Health Program Lead

I’ve facilitated many deliveries of the Digital Health: Planning National Systems (DH:PNS) course since its creation in 2020, from fully synchronous to blended, from Chile to Egypt. But up until last month, I’d never had the privilege of seeing DH:PNS alumni connect in-person to share their digital health experiences.

GDHF 2024 featured first-ever in-person DH:PNS Alumni Event

The Global Digital Health Forum is the world’s largest and most inclusive digital health event, a major relationship- and skill-building opportunity for implementers, vendors, donors, researchers and more. This hybrid conference is planned and delivered every year by TechChange in partnership with the Global Digital Health Network and a plethora of supportive sponsors. Among those is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), who also sponsors our DH:PNS course and the virtual Community of Practice (CoP) that keeps alumni connected long after they’ve completed their coursework.

So it only made sense to utilize GDHF to convene our DH:PNS alumni and give them the chance to connect in real life. With USAID’s generous sponsorship, TechChange planned the first-ever in-person DH:PNS Alumni Event.

Alumni found common ground and shared experiences through game-based play

After reaching out through the CoP, TechChange convened a group of alumni who were attending the conference in a special side event to conclude the second day of GDHF. The event was designed to offer alumni and trainers the chance to network and share knowledge in an informal setting with tea, snacks, and round tables.

The event kicked off with a digital health icebreaker, where participants introduced themselves and discussed their work. Alongside the TechChange team, Merrick Schaefer, Director of USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact (CII) in the Global Health Bureau at USAID and the funder of this initiative, gave brief opening remarks to welcome attendees.

Next, attendees split into two groups to play the Architects of Digital Health board game, discussing lessons learned from the game and their own country contexts. It was incredible to see people in person that I had gotten to know through months of online learning, and to watch them organically share their experiences dealing with concepts covered by the game in real life– crucial concepts like interoperability, the enterprise planning approach, and addressing health system challenges.dealing with shocks, and enterprise planning.

Both teams “won” in about 40 minutes, offering valuable insights on digital health initiatives.

Throughout the session, attendees also contributed ideas for future CoP activities on an “Asks and Offers” board. Common requests included live sessions for new modules and a contextualized version of the game. TechChange offered to share new modules and explore more networking opportunities in the future, given that attendees were so excited to see each other in person and build their relationships further.

For participants, the Alumni Event crystallized concepts and relationships

But don’t just take it from me that the Alumni Event was helpful and inspiring–I’m a bit biased! Our alumni took to social media to share their delight and learning experiences from connecting with their fellow alumni at GDHF.

Dr. Beatrice (Wangechi) Kariuki, an Associate Director of Data Analytics from Palladium, reflected on LinkedIn that understanding interoperability in the digital health space has stuck with her thanks to the boardgame. She shared that when she reflected on her experiences at GDHF three weeks later, the top of mind take-away for her was what it means and takes to implement interoperability in the digital health space, specifically noting “the power of games as a tool for experiential learning, [that allow] us to visualize things that are usually invisible… in a safe space where players can change their mind and strategy without impact.”

Shakira Irfaan from the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka said that “the networking opportunity was just as valuable as the learning experience. It was a pleasure to reconnect with global experts, meet old friends, and make new connections.” PityFaith Nyokabi, an Operations Manager from Kenya added that while GDHF as a whole left a lasting impact on her digital health professional journey, it was even more special since she got “to connect in person with my fellow Digital Health: Planning National Systems course alumni and trainers…and play a more advanced version of the board game Architects of Digital Health.”

Staying connected in the future

The robust and vibrant alumni network of DH:PNS is one of the most special aspects of the course. More than 1000 people from over 90 countries have completed the course, and they work as national planners, funders, implementers and more. They are practitioners and providers, all of whom share a common passion: harnessing the power of digital health to improve health systems and health outcomes for people all over the world.

And it was amazing to see just a small group of them in-person. Our digital health team is eagerly exploring new ways to convene and connect this vibrant community in the future.

Interested in joining a future cohort or learning more about the course? Check out digitalhealthtraining.org to join the movement.

group of smiling people sitting together with board game in front of them

By Nick Martin, TechChange CEO and Founder

Anyone who knows me is aware that connecting awesome social impact professionals to one another is one of my favorite things about working in this space. So I was delighted to chair a brand-new networking session at this year’s Global Digital Health Forum, specifically focused on connecting local innovators from Kenya with global funders of digital health. We’re talking CEOs and founders of some of Nairobi’s hottest ventures, paired with decision-makers from large funders such as USAID, the Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, Madiro, and more.

The session, sponsored by the Endless OS Foundation, wasn’t an awkward deal desk or a formulaic speed networking series. Rather, it was a meaningful chance for two audiences who rarely get enough face time with each other to build foundational relationships using the 4 Corners methodology and a brand-new TechChange tool we’re calling Opening Lines, a relationship-building card game for digital health professionals.

Finding the Players, with a Little Help from our Friends

When it came to creating the list for attendees of the Innovator-Funder session, we scoured the registration rolls for the conference, even enlisting AI to help scan for founders and CEOs before checking out their ventures with a little side research. But when that wasn’t nearly specific enough, we turned to our friends at the Africa Health Business to identify local leaders of health-related NGOs and social ventures that would benefit from face-time with big-time funders. They’re focused on health organizations that are entering and expanding on the African continent, so had plenty of great connections to leverage for our invitations.

Rubayat Khan from the Endless Foundation was an amazing thought partner for building out the session– it was his idea that we focus on undercapitalized organizations, not those who are already swimming in seed funding from other philanthropic donors or impact investors. The foundation’s sponsorship of GDHF allowed us to position this session as an invite-only opportunity, adding to the prestige of the affair. Then a last- minute addition of funding from our long-time partners at PEPFAR meant that we could extend an offer of free registration to the invitees, making it a win-win for folks to join.

The list of participants wound up being an inspiring testament to the vibrancy of the health space in Kenya, including:

Nafisa Jiddawi, Founder and CEO of WAJAMAMA, a women-led holistic health services organization in Zanzibar;
Daniel Mutambi, CEO of Dawapay, a digital platform for pharmaceutical and laboratory sales; and
Ikechukwu Anoke, CEO of Zuri Health, a Kenya-based mobile health platform.

Activating the Local Ecosystem for a Global Conference

The quality of representation in this session exemplifies the intentional focus on activating the local ecosystem that our TechChange events team took toward planning the first-ever African iteration of GDHF. Through our Nairobi-based Event Manager, Noni Gatere, and our partner, the Global Digital Health Network, we:

Prioritized a program featuring the highest levels of Kenyan government, which included a keynote address by the Cabinet Secretary of Health as well as an address by the Cabinet Secretary of Information Technology.
Engaged regional association HELINA, whose leaders were featured on multiple panels throughout the Forum.
Built a tiger team of Social Media Ambassadors who reported their insights and reflections from every day of the conference.
Reached out to partner organizations within TechChange’s global network with a presence in Kenya including our many generous sponsors.
Leveraged a wide variety of information sharing networks such as the Kenyan Health Informatics Association, Village Reach and Healthtech Hub Africa.
Supported the conference with an amazing group of volunteers from local universities and medical schools.
Outreach with results– more than 300 GDHF attendees self-identified as Kenyan nationals.

There were a wealth of plenary sessions and workshops that highlighted local and pan-African expertise. And people loved it! While manning the Pop-Up Studio, the live video interview spot that we host throughout the conference, I heard again and again that folks appreciated this aspect of the conference…especially given that it was the first time we hosted it outside of Washington D.C.

Sparks and Innovations to Follow

When you pair social impact professionals from different sides of the space, magic happens. I saw it first hand, watching the energetic conversations that occurred during the Innovator-Funder session. Participants used the relationship-building cards to break through the typical small talk and connect on a deeper level. In the 4 corners activity, they “voted with their feet” to move to different sides of the room reflecting their answers to a wide variety of questions, including: What’s your professional super power? And How do you feel about AI right now? With options ranging from “you love it with all your heart” to “you’re terrified and have successfully avoided it so far.”

Whether it’s partnering on grant-funded projects or investing in new digital technologies with the potential to remake the digital health landscape Kenya and beyond, I can’t wait to follow the fruits of the relationships that began at GDHF, and see what local activations are in store for next year’s conference.

By Sheerin Vesin, TechChange Vice President of Business Development

One of the most exciting aspects of working at an international social enterprise like TechChange is having the opportunity to support amazing events in a wide variety of locations – both online and in person across the globe. Whether near or far, we help our partners bring their visions to life for global conferences such as AccessNow’s RightsCon and the Society of International Development (SID-US)’s annual Inclusive Development conference.

As the head of our business development team, I love joining these incredible convenings. Right now, I’m gearing up (and packing!) to attend our Global Digital Health Conference, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya–and worldwide, online–on December 4-6.

Whether you’re joining us at GDHF or planning to travel for a different convening in the near future, here are some of my key tips for successfully preparing to attend a conference abroad.

Prepare to make the most of the agenda–and the destination

Spending time with the conference agenda ahead of time is a MUST. I like to review all of the options and then make an advanced plan for the three sessions a day that are “can’t miss.” Usually, there’s about five more that are on the “nice to see” list– and I get to those if I can, but the “can’t miss” ones I make sure I get there. I try to be realistic about my time and leave room for spontaneity.

I also check out the speaker list ahead of time, to see if anyone is on there that I definitely want to connect with. Pro tip: I send a message ahead of time on LinkedIn. Something like, “Hey, I’ve registered for the conference, and I’m going to be there in my capacity as {insert role here}. I’ve been following your work and I’d love the opportunity to meet up there.” The beautiful thing is you don’t actually have to set up the meeting in advance. Just go up to the speaker after their session, and they will most likely remember your outreach– and then it’s like you know them already!

Another tip… I love my TechChange coworkers, but I usually limit time with my team to one after-hours hang out – whether dinner or happy hour – and then use the rest of my non-conference time to maximize connections with people I don’t have the opportunity to interact with as often. It can be super tempting to want to spend all my time with people I already know so I have to fight that impulse to grow my network.

No matter how often you travel, going to a new country is special. I’m there to work, but I want to see a little bit of the destination too. First I’ll consult a local colleague or partner for ideas on what to prioritize. (Bonus points for anything involving nature or the outdoors!) Then I’ll pick one thing that feels worth putting effort into, but not so ambitious that it will be draining to make happen (no in-country flights or six hour minibus rides, for example). After GDHF next week, I’m excited to check out Nairobi National Park. Fingers crossed that I catch a glimpse of a leopard in the wild, right on the outskirts of this thriving megacity!

Travel tips on arrival and departure

People definitely have their preferences on the best time to arrive before a conference, and when to leave. Some manage their schedules right down to the wire– dragging a suitcase into the registration table, and leaving before the main speaker has even put down the mic to make it back to the airport.

Not me.

I like to arrive a full day before conference proceedings begin so I can get my bearings, start to acclimate to the local environment, and rest and recharge. This also allows a grace period for travel snafus such as delays or cancellations.

On the other end, I make arrangements to leave the day after the conference ends. You just never know what encounters you’re going to make on the last day, and if you don’t have the pressure of getting out there it can yield some wonderful and spontaneous encounters, like the time I wound up on a beach in Cyprus with a bunch of new conference friends.

One of the things I see a lot of people struggle with is that they try to live their lives back at home while also being present at a conference. These are the folks you see trapped in the hallway most of the day, carrying a laptop or talking urgently into their ear buds. To me, they’re stuck in between.

When I’m at a conference, I clear most if not all of my other meetings and then sandwich the things I have to do (email, Slack, etc.) in dedicated windows of time. This allows me to really make the most of the time I’m there AND fulfill the obligations that don’t stop just because I’m traveling. Naturally, it’s easier said than done. I usually have to start rearranging my schedule 2-3 weeks ahead to make the puzzle pieces fit. But it’s worth it: I conserve the energy it takes to constantly multi-task, and put that energy toward engaging with the content or connecting with others.

I also plan ahead with my spouse well in advance of the conference so that my family has what they need when I’m gone.

It pays to be present, and open to new experiences and connections– you never know what you’re going to learn, or who you’ll meet.

By Lara Henneman, TechChange Special Projects and Storytelling

From her work in clinical care and public health in both Benin and the United States, to consulting for the United Nations Fund for Population and Oxfam, Dr. Marlene “Joannie” Bewa’s extraordinary career has been driven by her deep-seated commitment to advancing access to healthcare through innovation. Her personal experiences facing major health complications in her childhood and losing her best friend at 12 years old from the complications of unsafe abortion represent one of her motivations. Leveraging her fifteen years of experience in sexual, reproductive, and maternal health, and digital health, Dr. Bewa founded Benin’s first teleconsultation platform, DOTOH. This mobile application provides real-time consultations in primary care, sexual, and reproductive health for underserved communities including youth, women, and adolescents–groups who often face stigma and geographic barriers in accessing care. D-tree and TechChange are proud to recognize Dr. Bewa as a 2024 Marc Mitchell Award recipient, an honor that will sponsor her attendance at the upcoming Global Digital Health Forum and connect her with one year of valuable professional mentorship from the Global Digital Health Network.

Marc Mitchell Award recognizes digital health innovators

Dr. Bewa is one of two winners of the Marc Mitchell Leadership and Innovation Award, given in memoriam of the Harvard pediatrician and digital health pioneer who founded D-tree in 2004. Dr. Mitchell’s groundbreaking work from Papua New Guinea to Mexico was guided by his passionate belief that all people everywhere should have access to high-quality healthcare, and the award in his honor is now given annually to professionals early in their digital health careers who exemplify that principle. Dr. Bewa’s work founding and leading DOTOH showcases the dedicated resolve and creativity this award is intended to celebrate.

App expands access to vital services for women and youth

In Benin, nearly 20% of adolescents aged 15-19 have given birth, and only 12% of women of any age use a modern contraceptive method. DOTOH, which means “health professionals” in Fon, the most spoken local language in Benin, aims at increasing the uptake of reproductive and preventative health services for women and young adults to aid decision making and family planning. Using the mobile platform available in English and French, users can make appointments, connect online for audio or video consultation for contraception counseling, maternal and child healthcare, family planning, general healthcare, and use the embedded GPS to track surrounding pharmacies.

DOTOH users can also access a complete library of articles on topics related to sexual and reproductive health, as well as primary care– all in a safe, confidential virtual environment. Information, access, consultation, and products are all a critical part of the healthcare services provided by Dr. Bewa’s DOTOH app, and digital technology ensures their reach goes further than ever. The Grand Challenges Canada Stars in Global Health Innovation Award funded this initiative through the Young Beninese Leaders Association (YBLA), an impactful nonprofit organization founded by Dr Bewa in 2010 in Benin, with expertise in health, innovation, and leadership.

An advocate for inclusive, user-centered design

As digital development practitioners, we at TechChange know that how you build things matters. In a recent conversation, Dr. Bewa shared that “women adolescents often face unique barriers to accessing care, particularly in areas where stigma or cultural norms limit their autonomy. Digital health solutions can offer privacy, accessibility, and empowerment, but only when the solutions account for the cultural barriers that limit autonomy.” Through her experiences with DOTOH, Dr. Bewah knows well that it’s vital to design solutions that are deeply rooted in the needs and contexts of users, and built her own app with vigorous testing and co-design with women and youth to ensure the platform was relevant, user-friendly, and responsive.

And she’s looking forward to building this expertise on inclusive digital health initiatives further through participating in the year-long mentorship with the Global Digital Health Network, a 3900+ person-strong networking forum, and at GDHF 2024, where specialized tracks on GESI (Gender Equity and Social Inclusion) and Localization underpin the dynamic agenda. We’re so pleased to welcome Dr. Bewa to the conference as a 2024 Marc Mitchell Award winner.

By Lara Henneman, TechChange Special Projects and Storytelling

Growing up hours from the nearest hospital in rural Rwanda, Joie Sophia Umuhoza saw first-hand how difficult it was for women and girls to get medical care, and the dangerous consequences that this lack of access posed for their physical and mental wellbeing. Rather than be discouraged, Umuhoza began to study digital health and became excited about the possibilities the field held for her community and others like it. Impressively, the university student has already translated that education into action, founding ECO-MAMA, a mental health digital platform aimed at helping women in Rwanda and beyond to overcome the psychological impact of climate change. Thanks to support from TechChange partner D-tree, Umuhoza is headed to the 2024 Global Digital Health Forum in Nairobi, and will also receive a year of professional mentorship through the Global Digital Health Network.

Marc Mitchell Award supports next generation of leaders

Umuhoza is one of two winners of the Marc Mitchell Leadership and Innovation Award, in memoriam of the Harvard pediatrician and digital health pioneer who founded D-tree in 2004. Dr. Mitchell’s groundbreaking work in over 40 countries from Papua New Guinea to Mexico was guided by his passionate belief that all people everywhere should have access to high-quality healthcare, and the award in his honor is now given annually to young professionals who exemplify that principle in action. The award is increasingly competitive–in 2024, more than 250 applications were received, and Umuhoza’s entry rose to the top.

A problem solver with a unique set of skills and experiences including product design training and volunteer work on youth mental health, Umuhoza created a digital platform that utilizes the AI-driven mental health assessment to identify early signs of anxiety, and depression among its female users. The ECO-MAMA initiative then provides localized mental health education and stress management techniques to those with climate-induced mental health challenges. The Women Warriors program equips young women to become advocates for mental health resilience in their own communities, and teaches skills of community resilience planning. These programs not only help to reduce barriers to mental health care, but also build capacity through digital health applications, just like Dr. Mitchell’s vision for the potential of technology to create lasting change.

When asked how the mentorship through the GDHN would help to support her work, Umuhoza shared that this would be “the catalyst needed to scale my impact on women facing the dual crisis of climate change and mental health. It’s an opportunity to turn my vision into reality…to collaborate with global digital health leaders, and gain insight on new innovative technologies and the best practices for scaling health interventions.” Her target over the next five years is to reduce the treatment gap in low-income countries like Rwanda by improving tech-driven interventions in underserved communities, and Umuhoza plans to continue to engage in research and policy advocacy to address the systematic barriers in mental health care.

Join the award winners at GDHF 2024, Dec 4-6

The Global Digital Health Forum is the world’s leading global public health industry networking and relationship-building opportunity for technology vendors, donors, researchers, government representatives, and implementing organizations working in low- and middle-income countries. When asked what she was most excited to share with other conference attendees, Umuhoza emphasized “the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in the digital health system, and bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds such as technology, social sciences and more to create comprehensive solutions.”

One thing we’ve learned in our years of organizing this conference–at GDHF, valuable expertise comes not only from the upper echelons of people who have been working in the field for decades, but also from rising innovators and social entrepreneurs like Joie Sophia Umuhoza, Marc Mitchell Scholarship winner for this year’s conference.

Join the conversation!

By Lara Henneman, TechChange Content Specialist

What do a former Soviet republic, a popular tourist destination in Asia, and a Francophone West African country have in common? This year they all held a local event for the Global Digital Development Forum, the world’s premier convening of digital development practitioners, experts, and funders. GDDF is a hybrid event in the “hub and spoke” model, where one central in-person event in Washington D.C. was open to a global retinue of virtual participants as well as in-person participants at connected events in Moldova, Thailand, and Senegal. At these GDDF “watch parties,” practitioners gathered to network and participate in conference sessions on AI’s role in development, advances in digital government, protecting the digital rights of children online, and more.

Just like each country, each session was unique to its context and participants.

Digital Principles in Thailand

The Thailand event centered an essential framework for #ICT4D professionals: the newly updated Principles for Digital Development, which guide the responsible use of technology in international development. First the GDDF session, “Future-Proofing Digital Development: Insights and Integration Strategies for the Updated Principles for Digital Development” (featuring TechChange’s own Hailey Nicholas) was broadcast to an audience of forty. Aim Ventures Managing Partner and Thailand Event coordinator Amarit Charoenphan then facilitated an engaging discussion in reaction to the session entitled, “Future Proofing Digital Development: Perspectives from Thailand.”

Amarit shared that he was most struck by a comment from Raj Singh, CEO of the APNIC Foundation, who mused that while nearly everyone in the room at the GDDF watch party was using the internet to deliver digital development content, a gathering like this had never taken place beyond the fragmented initiatives of each individual organization. He added that this was “a gathering of the best minds to explore how we can take what we learn from this conference and put it into action based on the different resources that are available to our different organizations.”

Just like the Digital Principles say- it all starts with understanding the existing ecosystem.

Inclusive Digital Futures in Moldova

On the first day of GDDF, Palladium organized an event in Chisinau entitled “Digital Momentum in Moldova: Mobilizing Collective Action for an Inclusive Digital Future.” As befitting the overall focus on AI throughout the GDDF agenda, this local event streamed an online session on AI and human rights to participants, and then conducted their own conversation on the topic, teasing out the implications for Moldova’s burgeoning democracy. Organizers led participants in a “four corners” networking session where participants voted with their feet in response to thought provoking assertions on emerging technologies and their impact on society.

In the hub and spoke model, content between smaller events and the “main event” goes both ways. A session from the Moldova event entitled “Human-Centered Digital Transformation in Moldova: Balancing Opportunities with Risk” was broadcast to the GDDF platform, leading one chat participant to share that it was “full of great information and expertise!”

Stuardo Herrera from Palladium, the Moldova event organizer, shared that the event “provided an excellent platform for government representatives, tech startups, donors, civil society organizations working on human rights issues and other actors from the tech ecosystem.” He added that attendees had valuable conversations and idea-sharing sessions about “how Moldova’s ongoing digital transformation should be inclusive of everyone, particularly vulnerable groups in which trust, and accountability play crucial roles.”

Digital Challenges and Opportunities in Senegal

The Senegal event had the dual goals of allowing participants to join in the GDDF convening and increasing the visibility of the local groups who organized it, including Yux, a UX research and design firm, and Kaikai, a digital development consulting firm. The group– approximately 25 people from across tech and development organizations–had the opportunity to watch a live streamed session from GDDF and witness live presentations from local leaders. Additionally, a session from Senegal entitled “French-speaking Africa in the Digital Era: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success” was broadcast on the global GDDF platform.

Elia Kokui Fiadjoe, Communication Manager at Yux, and Senegal Local Event host, had this to say: “The best part of the watch party was to see how development looks different from one region to the other, from one project to the other but one thing inclusive to all of them is the importance of including people in the process.”

The signature of a TechChange event is the use of inclusive technology and design to connect people across locations and backgrounds. Together these three local events added a mosaic of local experiences and grassroots conversations to the global GDDF experience, and impact.

For more ideas on making your hybrid event inclusive, check out our Hybrid Events Playbook.

By Katie Penland, TechChange Manager, Hybrid Events

The best part about planning a hybrid event is that there’s no limit to how creative you can be. One of my favorite ways to combine the benefits of virtual technology with the organic energy of in-person gatherings is what we at TechChange call “Hub and Spoke.” Let’s go over the basics of this model and I’ll share my top suggestions based on my experiences managing large-scale implementations of it such as the Global Digital Health Forum and the Global Digital Development Forum.

The Hub and Spoke Model, Defined

In a classic hybrid event, content is generated only in the central venue and shared virtually with online participants. So, for example, your organization rents out a conference hall in Washington D.C. and livestreams the sessions out to people online–who may be located anywhere. This is a great start for inclusivity, but it means that content only goes one direction…so there’s no way for the on-site participants to connect with the virtual attendees, resulting in an unfortunate loss of networking potential and expertise.

Now the Hub and Spoke model of a hybrid event combines the main in-person event with auxiliary, secondary sites such as “watch parties” or happy hours. Content is generated in both the main site and the auxiliary sites, and shared virtually with everyone. People can join the central event, the auxiliary sites, or log in independently. This flexibility allows an incredibly wide range of experiences and modes of participation.

The Hub and Spoke Model- a Main In-Person Event with Auxiliary Sites/ Events

Tie Both Aspects Together to Cultivate Community Across Locations

As inclusive event managers, we want to connect people across that range of experiences and locations. Hosting “watch parties,” such as the events we held for GDHF in Indonesia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, St. Lucia and Chile, is a great way to enmesh virtual and in-person participants and ensure that your event isn’t just a one-way stream. Other approaches include happy hours, site visits, and learning luncheons that pair broadcast of conference content with facilitated dialogues on-site in satellite locations. I love helping our partners to cultivate community by thoughtfully designing connections and learning opportunities for all participants.

More suggestions for building community across locations:

Designate a person at the in-person sessions to read out questions on behalf of virtual participants, noting their name and location.
Offer 2-way hybrid production, ensuring quality inputs from your auxiliary locations. You don’t want people tuning out because they can’t hear or see the speakers who aren’t directly in front of them.
Run a “pop up studio” or other on-the-ground live feed so online participants get the feel of the in-person experience at the “hub.” At TechChange events, we broadcast interviews with high-level speakers and conference attendees through our Learning Platform between sessions to keep things fun and interesting.

Empower Local Voices by Bringing Them to the Forefront

Some of the most knowledgeable experts on international development issues are in Low-to-moderate income countries, and they might not have the ability to travel to participate in the in-person elements of your hybrid event. More than a seat at the table, we work to ensure local experts have an opportunity to share their insights. At the GDHF 2023, we broadcasted ten hybrid sessions from the watch party sites, so that virtual and in-person participants could benefit from local expertise on everything from the future of Digital Investment Coordination (Nigeria) to Community Health Systems (via a two-way plenary between DC and Nairobi).

Consider the following ideas to center local voices in your event design:

Elevate an “ambassador” to do introductory remarks at the auxiliary sites, and have them do social media posts summarizing their local events. For our GDHF watch parties, we reached out to local leaders and tech entrepreneurs to play this role. And since their time is valuable, we always offer a small stipend to support their efforts.
Broadcast content from auxiliary sites to the main event over meal times or coffee breaks, and in designated watch room areas for virtual participation. Have signage and speakers remind on-site participants of virtual sessions and watch party connections.
Include frontline experts in your plenary sessions. For example, one of our most popular GDHF sessions was a plenary that featured a Kenyan community health worker alongside international experts and funders.

People love to feel like they’re a part of something truly global. At the end of the day, a dynamic mix of sessions, topics, and modalities for learning and engagement will make your event one that people talk about– and return to year after year, whether in-person, at an auxiliary location, or online.

For more inspiration on hybrid event models, check out our Hybrid Events Playbook, or connect with our events team today.

By Rose Nyzoka, Co-Chair of the Global Digital Health Network and Country Representative at Palladium

The Global Digital Health Forum is where the world of digital health practitioners, experts, and funders comes together– it’s also one of my favorite times of the year, as co-chair for the Global Digital Health Network. I love reconnecting with friends and colleagues, and meeting new potential collaborators from across the globe. At 2023’s in-person event in Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to give opening remarks with my fellow GDHN co-chair, Carol Kamasaka. I urged participants to take take advantage off the new innovation of live watch parties we were bringing to in GDHF2023 to hear more voices and experiences from country teams in Kenya, Tanzania, St Lucia, Nigeria, Chile, and Indonesia.

The learnings from last year’s event are still fresh in my mind, particularly the exhortations by USAID Assistant Deputy Administrator, Sangita Patel, in her keynote address, where she rallied us as digital health actors to go beyond experimentation and embrace ecosystem-wide interventions that are lasting and sustainable. This was echoed by government leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Haiti, Ghana, and Indonesia, who called for an increased focus on digital health goverance and the coordination of donor investments.

Eco-system wide interventions and proper governance don’t just happen– they will be the direct result of sustained conversation and collaboration between digital health experts from low- to middle-income countries along with high-income countries. GDHF is an essential part of that conversation, and I urge you to join us this year to add your voice.

Our network, working with TechChange as the operational support partner for the GDHF event, has just announced the location for the 2024 in-person site, and I’m thrilled to share that it’s my home city of Nairobi, Kenya! Digital Health programming in Kenya has come a long way, including development of standards for digital solutions, transitioning from paper to digital patient records, and enactment of Digital Health Act 2023, legislation that provides a framework for provision of digital health services, establishment of a comprehensive integrated digital health information system, data governance and protection of personal health information and service delivery through digital health interventions. The Ministry of Health is excited to co-host this event with GDHN, a testament of Kenya’s commitment to its digital health vision. Hosting the main event in Kenya provides the opportunity to center African expertise and programming, and I can’t wait to welcome our global digital health community to Nairobi.

When I say the in-person GDHF 2024 , I want to clarify that’s because GDHF is quite intentionally a hybrid event, with virtual programming on the TechChange platform throughout the entire conference, as well as local watch parties in different countries in key time zones where local leaders and experts can gather together to participate, network, and share their own experiences. So, whether or not you’re able to come to Kenya this year– though I hope you do!– that’s not your only option for participating.

Calls for workshop presentations will go live in a couple of months, we will keep you posted and welcome you to share your ideas.

See you in Nairobi, or online.

By Sylvia Mwelu, Digital Health Technical Lead at KeHIA and Nairobi Watch Party Host

In the fast-paced world of digital health, collaboration is the foundation for innovation. As we navigate the ever-changing digital health ecosystem, the solutions to our complex challenges lie in the engagement of diverse minds working towards a common goal. Recently, the Kenya Health Informatics Association (KeHIA) had the distinct honour of hosting a local watch party for the Global Digital Health Forum from Nairobi, Kenya. This experience exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the transformative power of partnership, as well as laying the ground work for the future of the event itself.

What We Saw at the Kenya Watch Party
One of the most important takeaways from the 2023 Kenyan event was the variety of perspectives that came together under the virtual (and in-person) roof of our watch party. Representatives from various organisations participated in dynamic discussions that went beyond organisational boundaries, each bringing their own unique insights and experiences. The exchange of ideas was intellectually stimulating, and laid groundwork for potential synergies and partnerships that could propel collective progress in the digital health space here in Kenya.

Participants watching a panel at Kenya Watch Party

The sessions were an immersive experience that deepened our understanding, broadened our network, and fuelled our enthusiasm for future engagements. The event’s seamless organisation and execution was critical. From the engaging panel discussions to the interactive Q&A sessions, every aspect of the event was carefully curated to provide participants with a platform to absorb the latest information on trends in digital health while actively contributing to the conversation.

Reflections on Hosting a Local Watch Party for a Global Event, and GDHF 2024

KeHIA worked with TechChange and HELINA to organise this watch party, and the experience was extremely rewarding. Witnessing our members’ enthusiasm and engagement as they connected with professionals present in the room and those from all over the world reaffirmed the value of such activities. Digital health initiatives don’t happen in a regional or national context only, and it is essential to incorporate global best practices and cross-regional approaches in our work.

Looking ahead, we are excited about other potential partnerships with TechChange and other groups who participated in this global event. I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Techchange, World Bank, and Medic for giving us the opportunity to host this watch party. The synergy displayed during the event has left a positive and indelible impression on our organisation, and we eagerly await future opportunities to work together to shape the future of digital health globally, and here in Kenya, including the main event for GDHF 2024, which will take place here in Nairobi.

By Otse Ogorry, Evans Ondura, Samuel Atanda, and Olo Okoye

The Global Digital Health Forum is a global hybrid event that convenes thought leaders, experts, and enthusiasts from around the world to explore the intersection of technology and public health. One key element of GDHF is local “watch parties,” including the GDHF Nigeria Watch Party, hosted by the Palladium Group, in collaboration with the Health Strategy Delivery Foundation, on December 5th, 2023 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

Elements of the GDHF Nigeria Watch Party

Virtual participation in live panel discussions from Washington DC, with interactive questions and answers.
Hybrid plenary session on digital-first approaches, streamed to audiences in both Washington DC and virtually.
A panel discussion with senior Nigerian Ministry of Health officials, private sector representatives, and civil society, addressing digital health investments in the country, also streamed to virtual audiences world-wide.
Pop-up studio interviews with attendees.
Networking and side meetings to spur collaboration.

Nearly 50 attendees helped to make the Nigeria Watch Party a dynamic and engaging experience. Stakeholders from Nigeria’s public and private health sector engaged in dynamic discussions across various sessions, generating ideas and significant strategies for action.

Cross section of Panelists and Attendees

Nigerian Watch Party Sessions and Insights

In an era where digital innovation is reshaping industries globally, there is a widely recognized need for digital health investments in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. In “The Future of Digital Investment Coordination,” industry experts emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in mobilizing resources and coordinating digital health investments effectively. Insights centered on the necessity of strategic partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms to maximize the impact of digital health interventions in Nigeria.

The Plenary session, “Digital-First Approaches to Health in Nigeria,” underscored the transformative potential of prioritizing digital technologies in healthcare delivery. Participants explored the role of digital-first strategies in enhancing access to quality healthcare services, strengthening health systems, and driving efficiencies across the continuum of care. The session illuminated pathways for leveraging technology to overcome barriers and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage in Nigeria.

In “Charting the Future: Driving Digital Health Investments in Nigeria“, stakeholders deliberated strategies to unlock investment opportunities and foster an enabling environment for digital health innovation. Discussions revolved around regulatory frameworks, policy incentives, and public-private partnerships to incentivize investment and stimulate innovation in the digital health ecosystem. Participants emphasized the need for targeted interventions to address gaps in infrastructure, capacity-building, and data governance to realize the full potential of digital health in Nigeria.

As organizers, hosting the GDHF Watch Party in Abuja was an enriching experience, offering a platform to amplify the dialogue on digital health investments within the Nigerian context. As organizers, it was encouraging to feel the palpable fervor and commitment of participants to advance the digital health agenda. The exchange of ideas sparked lively debates, formed new partnerships, and inspired creative thinking on leveraging digital technologies to improve health outcomes.

What does the future hold?

We are confident that the momentum, insights, and deeper relationships generated by the Nigerian Watch Party will contribute to a healthier, more equitable future for our country. We are grateful to the GDHF organizers, HSDF, Palladium, and the TechChange team for their contributions, and look forward to hosting more collaborative events in the future. Together, we will continue to drive innovation, investment, and collaboration to realize the transformative potential of digital health in shaping the future of healthcare in Africa and beyond, including at GDHF 2024 in Kenya.