Our Publications

This brief draws on a review of human rights standards and peer-reviewed studies of digital health strategies
to recommend steps to wire human rights into digital health by design: Set clear objectives to spur action to address human rights harms; Build on existing UN human rights standards
and platforms; and Promote greater accountability, including meaningful participation of young people and civil society in digital health governance.

• Human Rights
• Digital Governance
• Digital Health
• Gender inequality
• Health professionals
• Global

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.

• Human Rights
• Digital Governance
• Digital Health
• Privacy
• 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.

• Digital Rights
• Ghana
• Global

El documento de política analiza los retos y oportunidades de Colombia para garantizar los derechos humanos en entornos digitales y propone cinco estrategias para un ecosistema más inclusivo. Destaca la brecha digital, la violencia de género tecnológica, la vigilancia y la exclusión, y plantea una transformación digital participativa que reduzca desigualdades y proteja derechos como educación, salud y privacidad.

• Human Rights
• Digital Governance
• Digital Health
• Civic Participation
• Youth leadership
• DHRP
• Young Adults
• Colombia

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.

• Digital Health
• Digital Empowerment
• Vietnam

In 2025, DHRP published ‘Paying the costs of connection: Human rights in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam’. The report explores young adults’ experiences and opinions of the digital transformation and how it affects their health and human rights. As it uses a participatory action research approach, it helps fil a gap in current knowledge and practice, as young people are often left out of decision-making and policy discussions that affect their lives.

Our findings highlight four key themes demonstrating that many factors interconnect to shape young adults’ experiences of human rights in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam.

• Digital Health
• Digital Empowerment
• Ghana
• Vietnam
• Colombia
• Kenya

The policy brief examines the transformative impact of digital health technologies on patient care and management. It emphasises the importance of balancing technological advancements with ethical considerations.

• Digital Future
• Digital Security
• Global