Abstract
In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) elaborated the End TB Strategy in response to the World Health Assembly Resolution requesting Member States to work towards ending the worldwide epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) by 2035. For the strategy's objectives to be realised, novel solutions will be needed to address the challenges posed by TB to health professionals and to affected people and communities. Information and communication technology presents opportunities to innovate in support of TB care and prevention efforts.
In late 2014, the European Respiratory Society and the Global TB Programme of WHO started a collaboration to promote the wider use of digital technology in TB care and prevention. In 2015 WHO established its “Global task force on digital health for TB” to help steward this process.
By early 2016, target product profiles (TPPs) were developed by WHO and partners to define nine priority digital health concepts and products which are advantageously positioned to enhance patient care, surveillance, programme management and eLearning at country level.
We discuss how the TPPs are being used to focus the input of end-users, innovators, funders, policy-makers and other stakeholders towards a common purpose and to create products which stay abreast of the state-of-the-art in technology, which can be effectively applied at large scale and which increase the knowledge on their potential impact.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
