YO.DH in photos: Enabling future digital health leaders

Digital innovations are reshaping health care systems worldwide. The pandemic brought to the forefront the urgent need for digital systems and tools. This realization sparked a shared vision to harness digital health’s potential to address the limitations of current public health systems.

Young practitioners in the digital health ecosystem hold the key to driving this transformation. But how often do young people get a chance to share their thoughts and views, collaborate on new ideas, and shape the future?

Enter: YO.DH, short for Youth Ownership of Digital Health.

The YO.DH initiative is a vibrant community of more than 800 digital health professionals under the age of 35, representing more than 20 countries and 85 cities. The community prides itself on gender inclusivity, with over 53% of members being women.

“YO.DH is a unique and vibrant community of leaders in the digital health care space. As a young entrepreneur, it has empowered me to meet like-minded people and collaborate and position myself better in the industry,” says Saloni Sethi, YO.DH Core Committee member and founder of GenWell Health.

With the intention of cultivating the next generation of digital health leaders, PATH—supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners, including International Innovation Corps, Women Lift Health, and Digital Square—established YO.DH in July 2023.

“I have been a YO.DH member since its start. Attending YO.DH events brings in so much positivity, where we feel that together we can achieve bigger and better things than working in silos,” says Sharan Murali, YO.DH Core Committee member and Scientist B at Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Epidemiology.

YO.DH employs a democratic, community-led approach that fosters connections, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. This model ensures members feel a sense of ownership, actively contribute to the community's growth, and advance the larger vision of generating impact in the digital health space.

Governed by a Secretariat led by Pallavi Jain, Program Lead at PATH and the Core Committee, YO.DH nurtures leadership and supports rolling cohorts of ambassadors, creating a sustainable leadership pipeline.

“Change happens at the speed of trust. The vision of YO.DH is to cultivate an inclusive community that organically brings together diverse voices and efforts by the youth to strengthen capacity to harness digital and AI as a catalyst and enabler for delivering quality and timely health services across India and beyond. The platform aspires to create a safe space for young leaders in digital health from academia, research, start-ups, NPOs/NGOs, strategy and implementation, government, technology, and medical fields to foster connections, facilitate cross-learning, gain mentorship, and promote gender intentionality as they advance their careers and amplify contributions contextually in digital health,” says Anaita Singh, Program Officer - Digital, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

YO.DH offers a mix of seven online and offline initiatives. The YO.DH Ambassador Program, a volunteering initiative, provides unique opportunities such as public representation, exclusive event invites, leadership roles, and blog publishing. YO.DH Adda hosts monthly open-house sessions for discussions and ideation on digital health themes, while YO.DH Dialogue hosts a monthly podcast with digital health experts. YO.DH Charcha offers monthly online webinars and workshops led by industry leaders, and YO.DH Discovery includes field visits to centers of excellence in digital health. YO.DH Fest is a leadership event focused on knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, and YO.DH Connect, a mentorship program for young practitioners, is currently being developed.

These engagements have been crucial in building a sense of community and deepening bonds among members, creating sustainable relationships beyond the project’s duration.

“The journey has been very rewarding as it has prompted us to innovate in our thinking and apply the learnings in our work,” says Shiv Kumar Yadav, YO.DH Core Committee member and Analyst at IPE Global.

In response to growing demand, YO.DH is launching city-wise chapters, aiming to establish at least four local chapters by the end of 2024. This is aimed at enhancing interpersonal communication and collaboration.

“As the digital health ecosystem expands, it's exciting to see an increasing number of young people engage as users, practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. Looking ahead, I am inspired by our collective potential to drive forward the future of digital health,” says Debjyoti Sikder, YO.DH Ambassador and Program Facilitator at Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).

Key early success metrics include launching two cohorts of the YO.DH Ambassador Program with 30 volunteers; hosting four community events attracting over 400 participants, featuring workshops, panel discussions, fireside chats, networking sessions; and launching “YO.DH Dialogue,” a monthly podcast series with five episodes on digital health topics so far.

Additionally, YO.DH organized a Discovery visit to C-DAC Mohali and PGIMER Chandigarh to examine the e-Sanjeevani telemedicine model and hosted three Charcha sessions on telemedicine, startups, and design thinking in digital health.

The YO.DH initiative has received resounding support from young digital health professionals. Their active participation in online and offline engagements is a testament to its potential for accelerating positive change in the industry. Looking forward, our focus is to position YO.DH in the global digital health community as a reputed go-to forum for all things related to digital health.

With active engagement and a robust community, the future of digital health looks promising.