Here, we take a look at news from the international health tech arena that’s caught our eye over the last few weeks.
WHO-supported workshop presents Solomon Islands digital health strategy 2025-2029, focuses on workforce education and training, data and integration
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), with technical support from the World Health Organization, recently held a two-day workshop outlining the details of its national digital health strategy for 2025-2029, including plans for workforce education and training, data, and integration.
Pauline McNeil, MHMS permanent secretary, spoke of the importance of “a robust data ecosystem” in supporting the nation’s healthcare providers to make more informed decisions and optimise resource allocation, adding that “with precise and timely data, we can identify trends, address emerging health challenges, and implement targeted interventions.” McNeil also shared that the success of the new strategy will be based on the capabilities of staff, noting the importance of investing in training and capacity-building to prepare the workforce for using digital tools.
WHO representative, Georgios Theocharopoulos, discussed the advantages of well-designed digital health infrastructure, saying: “A solid, national digital health strategy with integrated solutions will let us accelerate these innovations, allowing the health sector to optimise resource allocation, improve regulatory oversight, and support effective health policymaking.”
Malaysian hospital achieves HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 validation
The Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) in Malaysia has achieved HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 validation, with the hospital highlighting its adoption of “advanced” EMR systems and associated improvements in patient safety, streamlining and the availability of data to inform decision-making.
Welcoming the accreditation, Dato’ Sri Dr Alwi Mohamed Yunus, said: “While we celebrate this achievement, our journey continues. We are already aiming for EMRAM Stage 7 validation by 2025, which will enable us to deliver even more comprehensive care and maximise the value of our data for improved outcomes and operations.”
According to the update, the hospital now plans to focus on developing the IJNCare app, which currently allows patients to manage appointments and prescriptions, to include “integrating wearable devices for home monitoring, allowing patients to track their health and connect virtually with their care providers”. Another area of focus for IJN is data analytics, which it plans to use to inform hospital operations and improve patient outcomes.
AI in medicines procurement in Vietnam
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has shared details of the way AI is being used in Vietnam to help enhance speed and accuracy, and improve transparency around medicines procurement.
The digital tool, the Medicine Reference Price Calculation Software, has been piloted at the Hanoi Department of Health, to automatically identifying the highest, lowest and most frequent winning bid prices for medicines from the past 12 months, and effectively removing “potentially inconsistent human decisions” from the procurement process.
According to the UNDP, the ambition now is to roll out the software to “all 63 provincial Departments of Health and health facilities across the country”.
Healthtech company secures $50 million in Series A funding for use of imaging biomarkers for precision medicine
Healthtech company Quibim has secured $50 million in Series A funding for its use of AI-powered imaging biomarkers to inform precision medicine, with the funding reportedly being set to help support plans to build on “success in Europe” with US expansion.
Reporting on its work in developing foundational AI models applied to imaging that “extract actionable insights from MRI, CT and PET scans”, Quibim highlights the importance of the insights generated in enabling the “precise characterisation of phenotypes and prediction of outcomes in areas such as oncology, immunology, neurology and metabolic disorders”.
A company update shares that this is part of the journey toward achieving “human digital twins”, or “dynamic models that not only reflect and allow health monitoring but also enhance patient stratification, improve the success rates of drug development programs, and enable treatment testing before application”. Whilst the focus is currently on the development of digital twins at organ- and lesion-level, the next step is to analyse the entire body, the update continues.
“Up to $188 million” investment for cancer care as program sets out to boost resilience of health organisations in New York
An update from New York governor Kathy Hochul’s office has shared plans for the Healthcare Safety Net Transformation Program, which will see “up to $188 million” in investment to establish a “comprehensive cancer care center”, along with further investments in hospitals and health partnerships across the state. The $188 million funding will help develop the partnership between Jamaica Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering on a “Comprehensive Cancer Program of Queens”, to include a new radiation and infusion therapy campus.
Other projects receiving preliminary approval include the integration of Glens Falls Hospital into the Albany Med EMR system to help modernise the emergency department and improve care delivery; the modernisation of Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital’s maternity and neonatal intensive care units; and the upgrading of communication infrastructure to “improve efficiency” across the Bassett Health Network.
200 tablets delivered to medical staff in Ukraine’s armed forces in “first step” toward introducing ePMR
200 tablets equipped with software for “creating and managing Electronic Primary Medical Records (ePMR)” have been delivered to medical personnel in Ukraine’s armed forces, marking the first step toward introducing ePMR across the nation’s defence forces.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has reportedly approved the ePMR form which will be utilised to help streamline record keeping for pre-hospital medical care, replacing the “outdated” version in current use.
Military medics will now be able to create ePMRs using the tablets, with data “automatically transferred” to the armed forces’ medical information system, which supports service members “throughout all stages of medical evacuation”.
