Digital Health and Rights Project

In the digital age, human rights face new challenges and opportunities that directly impact our health, dignity, and well-being. This MOOC, entitled "Rights and Health in the Digital Age: Protection and Advocacy," offers an educational journey through the fundamental concepts of digital human rights, their international regulatory framework, their links to digital health, and advocacy strategies for their defense.

The blog reflects on the AI in Health Africa Conference 2025, stressing that AI must be co-created with communities rather than designed for them. Drawing on lessons from the Digital Health and Rights Project, it emphasises the need for digital skills, genuine community involvement, stronger local innovation and youth voices in shaping AI policies.

This policy brief summarises recommendations from a study conducted by the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP)10 in Kenya (led in Kenya by the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) and University of Warwick).

The study, part of a four-country transnational participatory action research project, examined how young people living with HIV (PLHIV), young female sex workers,
and young LGBTQ+ individuals navigate digital spaces, focusing on empowerment, inclusion, and governance from a human rights perspective. The policy brief, led by KELIN, shares evidence-based recommendations for Kenya.

This national policy brief examines how young people in Ghana navigate digital spaces to access health information, with a focus on human rights and exposure to online risks. Drawing on participatory research, it highlights experiences of online harms and abuse, misinformation, and privacy concerns affecting young key populations. It finds that marginalised young adults face significant economic barriers, particularly the high cost of mobile devices and internet data, limiting access. Stigma related to health status, gender identity, and occupation further discourages engagement. These intersecting risks deepen exclusion, underscoring the need for inclusive, rights-based digital health policies that ensure safe, affordable, and equitable access.