National Policies and Legislation
The lack of, weak or outdated national policies, legislation and regulation creates uncertainty and leads to duplications, fragmentation and weak accountability as different stakeholders develop different digital solutions to respond to different challenges. It also compromises people’s rights, particularly in relation to health data as there is little clarity over patient rights and the duty obligations of health and technology providers. This landscape also increases business risks and creates challenges for long term planning and investment, it also creates confusion over compliance.
Clear and updated national policies, and strong, coherent national legislation and regulation are needed to ensure the digital health ecosystem is effectively governed with the right incentive structures (positive and negative) to encourage harmonisation and collaboration to deliver on the national digital health strategy. Strong legislation underpinned by principles of human rights, equity and inclusion are necessary to create confidence among the general population that digital solutions are being used for their benefit. Effective regulation would