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 Checklist for Assessing Gender, Equity and Rights Inclusion in Developing Digital Health Strategies is a practical tool developed to encourage reflection and debate among officials, consultants, civil society and other stakeholders to ensure digital health strategies advance human rights, gender equality and inclusion approaches to the adoption and management of digital health technologies. It includes a list of UN guidance and other resources to help inform the strategy development process.

This brief explores digital health and rights issues, reviews the current policy landscape, identifies gaps, and offers recommendations to internet users—especially young adults living with HIV or from marginalized communities (who are even more vulnerable than they already are, due to the fear of data leak, exposure, stigma, digital divides, and absence of in-person support), as well as government authorities, NGOs, and donors. These recommendations, informed by the study Paying the costs of connection: Human rights of young adults in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam”, conducted by the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP) and funded by Fondation Botnar, aim to ensure young adults can engage safely, responsibly, and meaningfully in the digital space.