1. Digital health is important to make universal health coverage (UHC) a reality, which I learned from my work as a community health worker (CHW) in Kisii, Kenya. I shared this knowledge with attendees at last week’s ICPD25: The Nairobi Summit, where I was invited to speak at the session “Reaching UHC through Digital Health” hosted by UNFPA, PATH and the WHO.

I’ve been a CHW for more than 10 years. I went through the transition from paper registries for patients to digital registries for patients—and it’s made a big impact on how I do my work. First, my smartphone now digitally connects me to staff at a local clinic without the need to go there myself. When a child is sick and needs treatment that I cannot provide, my app refers them to the clinic to receive more specialized care. It’s important to remember that CHWs can’t do everything. It is critical that we work as a member of frontline health worker teams, including nurses, midwives, and doctors in order to get the job done. Digital health tools are making working together easier, and as a result, our patients receive better, more effective care.