The Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) organized the panel “Country-Led Approaches to Strengthening Digital Health Ecosystems” on December 5, 2025, during the 2025 Global Digital Health Forum, featuring the AeHIN Mind the GAPS Framework, the Digital Health Convergence Workshops, and the Digital Health Convergence Toolkit v1.2.

The team from AeHIN, Dr. Boonchai Kijsanayotin from Thailand, Mr. Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran from India, Dr. Alvin Marcelo from the Philippines, Dr. Fazilah Shaik Allaudin from Malaysia, Mr. Anis Fuad from Indonesia, along with Ms. Kristin Pascual from the Philippines, comprised the panel and presented key information on AeHIN’s knowledge products and its real-life applications.

Mr. Udayasankaran introduced the digital health convergence workshops, highlighting AeHIN’s work with countries aligned with their country priorities and context at the multistakeholder level. He explained what digital health convergence workshops (DHCWs) are, why they are needed, who are involved, when and how to employ this activity, and identified available tools that countries can leverage. Mr. Udayasankaran walked the participants through the necessary steps for planning and implementing convergence workshops. He highlighted that DHCWs lead to outputs, such as digital health strategies, the formation of technical working groups, and clear terms of reference for operationalizing governance or program management.

As the moderator, he led the discussion with the panel members by asking questions related to how the DHCW methodology and GAPS framework complement each other, and how the DHCW can be helpful in Health Technology Assessment; how the DHCWs supported countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines with the alignment of fragmented initiatives, stakeholder coordination, and informing the development of resilient digital health strategies; what the relevance of the Digital Health Convergence Toolkit v1.2 is in promoting country digital health ownership; and how bottom-up models like DHCWs can complement global frameworks such as the Global Strategy on Digital Health and Regional Action Framework from the WHO.

Dr. Allaudin discussed the Mind the GAPS Framework and its deployment in DHCWs. Using the framework, countries can determine the areas they need to focus on. To fill the gaps, countries can use the DHCW methodology in collaboration with multiple stakeholders. Dr. Allaudin highlighted that the framework is a good way to structure discussions and that, through the DHCWs, countries can have actionable discussions to rapidly move towards a more mature and interoperable health ecosystem.

In the context of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Dr. Allaudin explained that, with the rapid evolution of digital technology, traditional health technology assessment may no longer be effective, and traditional economic models do not capture the benefits. She gave examples of how incorporating the framework into the HTA using the convergence approach can transform into a robust risk and feasibility analysis for new tools and ensure innovation is responsibly and effectively adopted:

  • Governance – evaluate policies and leadership structures for new technologies.
  • Architecture – assess the technology compatibility and interoperability with their national blueprint
  • Program and people management – determine how useful technology is for patients and providers, including organizational readiness, and minimize the digital divide
  • Standards and interoperability – verify whether generated data and systems can facilitate exchange using established standards

To demonstrate the applications of the Mind the GAPS Framework and the DHCW approach, Dr. Marcelo shared experiences and priorities from the Philippine Convergence Workshop, and Mr. Fuad shared those from Indonesia.

In the Philippines, having the toolkit and templates available was helpful. When the Department of Health (DOH) requested a DHCW, the Philippines conducted the workshop within 4 months of making the request, demonstrating the value of 10 years of experience and knowledge in assisting and supporting Ministries of Health when they request a DHCW. It was an opportunity for the DOH to call on multiple stakeholders to hear its strategies and priorities, and it was met with support from the private and public agencies and development partners present. Dr. Marcelo also mentioned the framework’s flexibility and its applicability to a variety of contexts.

Indonesia held its DHCW in 2023, during the implementation of its first digital health blueprint, released in 2021. Mr. Fuad mentioned that it was helpful for monitoring and evaluating the progress of their digital health activities and blueprint, for estimating whether their digital health targets by the end of 2024 will be achieved, and for evaluating all existing components of the Indonesian digital health architecture at the time.

With the support from UNICEF, AeHIN also developed a microsite to document DHCW artefacts, highlight country experiences, promote country ownership, and serve as a global public good on digital health convergence workshops, artefacts, and reference for countries interested in conducting their own DHCW. Ms. Pascual showcased the microsite, mentioning the collection of updates appended to the toolkit published by the Asian Development Bank in 2018. The country experience documentations from Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Sri Lanka show ministries leading their own DHCWs, from planning and convening multisectoral stakeholders to assessing outcomes after the DHCW. She further underscored the principle of praxis in these workshops: putting frameworks into practice, learning from the process, and adapting based on what works. Ms. Pascual also mentioned that the updates highlight how countries apply the Mind the GAPS Framework, and the documentation allows countries to reflect on how the DHCWs influence good practices and highlight emerging needs as their landscape evolves.

Bottom-up approach fits in the larger context of the global digital health strategy, grounded action in standards and interoperability.

Dr. Kijsanayotin highlighted that the tools and methodologies for co-creation are anchored in trust; countries and partners trust AeHIN. Things have started with no data standards, but over the years, AeHIN realized the four foundations essential to the development of health information systems in countries. AeHIN aligned with development partners and developed the Mind the GAPS Framework as a foundation. Together with countries, it established the Community of Interoperability Labs (COIL), helping countries from the ground up, action-oriented to work on national standards. AeHIN also works on people-interoperability, which has been developed over the last 15 years. AeHIN also collaborates with standards organizations such as SNOMED International and HL7 International.  Dr. Kijsanayotin further explained that AeHIN can integrate all four components of Mind the GAPS into training, and that the DHCW methodology is flexible, allowing countries, stakeholders, and development partners to converge and collaborate.