Key Stakeholder Message: Prof. Zahidul Quayyum
Prof. Zahidul Quayyum, Professor (Health Economics) and Director Research, BRAC James P Grant School of public Health & Vice-President, BUHN: Digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions in urban health are opening up a profound and transformative opportunity. These technology-driven initiatives not only enhance the speed and efficiency of healthcare delivery but also help reduce disparities in access, thereby fostering a more inclusive health system. Particularly in the context of rapid urbanization where the demand for healthcare services is continuously increasing and marginalized populations are often left underserved digital health solutions are increasingly being recognized as an effective and sustainable pathway. However, to translate this vast potential into reality, the most critical prerequisite is ensuring the availability of sufficient, reliable, and high-quality health data.
In the current context, the lack of adequate data and limitations in data quality have emerged as major barriers to the advancement of digital health initiatives. This is especially critical in AI-driven healthcare systems, where data serves as the core driving force. Inadequate or poor-quality data significantly hampers accurate analysis, forecasting, and decision-making. As a result, it becomes difficult to achieve the desired effectiveness in healthcare planning, diagnosis, treatment, and policy formulation. Therefore, strengthening the entire data lifecycle including data collection, storage, quality assurance, analysis, and utilization is now an urgent priority. At the same time, ensuring standardization, interoperability, and real-time updating of health data must be given special emphasis.
In this regard, it is essential to establish a coordinated and collaborative framework that actively involves government institutions, private hospitals, NGOs, development partners, research organizations, and stakeholders from the technology sector. Through effective data sharing and the establishment of integrated data systems, it is possible to develop a centralized and interconnected database that can make digital health systems more efficient, transparent, and accountable. Such a data ecosystem would play a crucial role not only in service delivery but also in policy development, strategic planning, resource allocation, and service monitoring. However, ensuring data security, privacy, and ethical use remains equally important to maintain public trust.
The Alo Clinic model, highlighted during the seminar, has emerged as a highly promising and innovative initiative that demonstrates the effective application of technology in urban healthcare. By integrating digital tools, electronic health records, unique health IDs, and community-based platforms, this model is making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and patient-centered. It holds particular significance for women, children, adolescents, and the urban poor. The use of mHealth, telemedicine, and digital registries further enables faster, more accurate, and wider-reaching service delivery. Therefore, there is strong potential to scale up, adapt, and institutionalize such models for broader implementation.
However, building a technology-driven health system requires more than just technological solutions; it demands multi-stakeholder partnerships, capacity building, and strong institutional coordination. This transformation cannot be achieved without the active participation of government bodies, development partners, academic institutions, researchers, technologists, and communities. In particular, adopting a co-design approach in developing AI-based health solutions is crucial ensuring that the experiences and needs of clinicians, healthcare workers, researchers, and end-users are equally reflected. This approach will help ensure that innovations are practical, acceptable, and sustainable.
At the same time, special attention must be given to improving digital literacy, ensuring access to technology, and addressing infrastructural limitations for the effective implementation of digital health services. Without increasing access to smartphones, internet connectivity, and the ability to use digital platforms especially among marginalized populations the benefits of digital health will not be equitably realized.
Finally, knowledge-sharing seminars and platforms like this play a vital role in fostering dialogue, exchanging experiences, and addressing real-world challenges. They provide opportunities for constructive discussions on innovative ideas and practical insights, which are essential for informing future planning and policymaking. Therefore, such initiatives should be strengthened, made more regular, and increasingly inclusive and outcome-oriented. Building a sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and technology-enabled urban health system will require coordinated efforts, effective leadership, and a strong long-term vision.
