The Maldives is charting a bold digital future with the launch of a five-year national digital health roadmap that aims to accelerate smart health systems and provide citizens with a more connected, efficient, and resilient healthcare ecosystem.
The Maldives Digital Health Blueprint 2026-2030 was put together by the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare, with support and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Japanese government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and experts from Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Australia.
This strategy is part of the Maldivian government’s efforts to unify and coordinate the country’s existing digital health initiatives to ensure that they work together under a common framework, according to an official release from the Health Ministry.
The new blueprint, which supports the government’s broader Maldives 2.0 vision, is expected to help optimize the use of existing initiatives, reduce duplication of effort, and ensure that investments in technology and infrastructure are used more efficiently.
“For the Maldives, digital health is not a convenience; it is a matter of equity. It offers the most practical, sustainable and resilient way to deliver quality care to every citizen, on every island, regardless of distance or weather,” said Ms Payden, WHO representative to the Maldives.
Despite being the smallest country in South Asia, in both land area and population, the Maldives has, in recent years, kept pace with neighboring states in terms of digitalization of its healthcare sector.
In 2024, the Health Ministry introduced the Maldives Health Information System (MIHIS), a centralized digital platform that allows patients to monitor their health data, including vaccination and developmental milestones. A year before that, the Maldives had expanded its national digital identity system, eFaas, by launching it as a mobile application to simplify citizens’ access to government services and introduce a more robust verification system.
Also in 2023, the government developed its OneGov app to promote seamless communication between government authorities and Maldivians. In the same year, the national insurance scheme, Aasandha, was revamped as a web portal.
Sierra Leone builds disease shield
In West Africa, Sierra Leone is reinforcing its borders against diseases with the launch of a digital health portal, a system that would enable authorities to monitor travelers’ health conditions when they enter or leave the country.
The African region was recognized as the most disease-prone continent worldwide by the World Bank in 2017, with the top causes of death identified to be malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)—diseases that are prevalent in Sierra Leone and have been known to have caused a high mortality rate.
Africa’s high biodiversity, coupled with rapid environmental changes and an inaccessible healthcare system, has made outbreaks common in the region.
While the government of Sierra Leone actively promotes and conducts vaccination drives against diseases, similar to efforts made in Nigeria and Ghana, the risks remain high as Africa shapes itself as a popular tourist destination.
According to data from the United Nations World Tourism Barometer, Africa and Europe recorded the strongest tourism growth in the first quarter of 2026. While this is positive news for Africa, tourism growth entails a high risk of diseases entering the region.
The Health Travel portal is Sierra Leone’s first defense against diseases seeping into the country. Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby said this would allow them to guard the country against any health threats and contain diseases or viruses before they can affect a wider population.
“The future of public health lies in our ability to anticipate, prevent, detect, and respond to health threats in real time,” he said, as quoted by dubawa.
With the deployment of the Health Travel portal this June, travelers entering Sierra Leone are now mandated to submit digital health declarations and disclose their vaccination data.
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