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Technical Consultation on Verifiable Digital Health Wallets and the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network [1]

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Date: 2025-07-01

Dates: 1-2 July 2025 and 3-4 July 2025

Location: Geneva, Switzerland (CICG Conference Center and WHO Headquarters)

Overview

At the Global Digital Collaboration Meeting (GDC) 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners will co-host a series of focused technical sessions aimed at identifying key considerations for the design, development, and implementation of interoperable digital health wallet solutions. These consultations will convene a core group of experts to examine technical challenges, explore potential solutions, and ensure that emerging technologies are robust, secure, and aligned with global health priorities.

This collaborative initiative draws on the expertise of governments, technologists, and standards organizations. By actively engaging Member States and key technical partners, the meetings will help define clear technical pathways and promote a harmonized approach to digital health innovation. Ultimately, these efforts support the broader digital transformation of health systems and empower individuals with secure, verifiable access to their health information—an essential goal of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2027.

This event comprises two interconnected segments: an open session and a closed session

Session 1: Verifiable Digital Health Wallets at GDC 2025

Date: 1–2 July 2025

1–2 July 2025 Venue: CICG Conference Center, Geneva

CICG Conference Center, Geneva Focus: Technical sessions on verifiable digital health wallets within the GDC 2025 agenda

Technical sessions on verifiable digital health wallets within the GDC 2025 agenda Access: Open session

Session 2: Technical Architecture for Digital Health Wallets, GDHCN, and DPI-H

Date: 3–4 July 2025

3–4 July 2025 Venue: WHO Headquarters, Geneva

WHO Headquarters, Geneva Focus: WHO-hosted discussions on architecture and specifications for the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) and Digital Public Infrastructure for Health (DPI-H).

WHO-hosted discussions on architecture and specifications for the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) and Digital Public Infrastructure for Health (DPI-H). Access: Closed session

Purpose of the Consultations

These consultations aim to:

Foster shared understanding of technical and policy frameworks for digital health wallets.

Discuss critical design and architecture considerations.

Strengthen global alignment across standards, platforms, and digital health systems.

Support countries in implementing interoperable, person-centered digital health solutions.

Objective

Review and refine draft policy and governance considerations for digital health wallets linked to the GDHCN. Discuss technical requirements in support of verifiable digital health wallets (VDHW) for multiple health goals (e.g., digital ICVP, Hajj Health Card, IPS, adolescent personal digital health records) Define technical architecture components and specifications for digital health wallets, GDHCN, and DPI-H. Document country implementation experiences related to digital health wallets and GDHCN, documenting obstacles and best practices to inform future guidance. Assess digital software platforms support for digital health wallet technical and interoperability standards and use cases linked to the GDHCN Inform the development of the WHO and ITU guidance on Reference Architecture for Digital Public Infrastructure for health, ensuring alignment with verifiable digital wallet use-cases.

Outcomes

Establish a clear understanding of key policy, governance, and common technical interoperability requirements for Verifiable Digital Health Wallets (VDHW) and their supporting architecture, including inputs for relevant reference architectures. Develop a comprehensive overview of the status of technical specifications, standards, and digital platform capabilities, incorporating insights from country implementation experiences and identifying key gaps. Strengthened collaboration among participating technical experts, their respective organizations, and relevant stakeholders. Identify priority areas for future technical work, collaborative problem-solving, and development of implementation guidance for verifiable digital health credentials. Drafted workplan with defined outcomes, timelines, and responsible stakeholders and actors.

Technical Panel Session 2

A core group of 17 invited experts will lead focused technical discussions throughout the consultations. These individuals are members of the WHO-ITU Reference Architecture for Digital Public Infrastructure for Health: Core Architects Group.

Selected through a competitive application process and vetted by WHO regional advisors, the panel brings together a diverse array of expertise, including government representatives, leading technologists, standards development organizations, and health domain specialists. Their collective knowledge and experience will guide the dialogue and play a pivotal role in shaping the technical foundations for verifiable digital health wallets and related infrastructure.

Global Digital Health Wallet - Secure. Portable. Yours.

The World Health Organization is leading the digital transformation of the health sector, guided by its Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025. At the heart of this strategy is the development of person-centered, interoperable digital health systems that ensure individuals have secure and seamless access to their health information. A foundational element of this vision is the establishment of robust national digital health architectures. These include Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for trusted digital credentials and the implementation of tested interoperability standards, such as HL7 FHIR and the International Patient Summary (IPS). Together, these enable the secure management of digital health wallets and verifiable health certificates.

WHO’s flagship initiative, the Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN)—initially launched with the support of the European Commission—has evolved into a global digital public infrastructure. It supports a growing range of critical health use cases, such as the Hajj Health Card and LacPass, which have demonstrated tangible benefits in improving health service delivery and enabling cross-border verification of health documents.

The importance of verifiable digital health certification has been further reinforced by amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) in 2024, which require the global acceptance of digital versions of the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) starting in Q4 2025.

To support countries in adopting these frameworks, WHO is collaborating with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to develop comprehensive guidance on a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Reference Architecture for Health. This architecture focuses on key capabilities including identity management, interoperability, secure data exchange, and the deployment of verifiable digital health wallets.

There is increasing interest among Member States in adopting standards-based solutions such as IPS, HL7 FHIR, and ICD for managing verifiable health records across a variety of use cases—from routine immunization and adolescent health records to maternal and child health cards, and applications in humanitarian settings.

A critical component of this work is the development of mechanisms to validate the compliance and interoperability of digital health solutions with global standards. This technical consultation has been convened by WHO to align ongoing efforts, review technical specifications, and coordinate strategic actions among key experts and stakeholders.

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[1] Url: https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2025/07/01/default-calendar/technical-consultation-on-verifiable-digital-health-wallets-and-the-who-global-digital-health-certification-network

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