The launch of an innovative digital health partnership has been announced by the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO).

This initiative, which starts in June 2023, aims to establish a comprehensive global network for digital health certification. This network will build upon the EU's Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) framework, its guiding principles, and open technologies. It represents the initial step in the creation of the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN), which will develop a diverse range of digital solutions to promote better health outcomes for everyone.

Through this collaborative effort, WHO will oversee this process globally within its organisational structure. The objective is to enable the world to benefit from harmonising digital certificates. This entails the establishment of standards and validation mechanisms for digital signatures to prevent fraudulent activities. Importantly, WHO will not have access to any personal data held within the certificates, as this will remain the exclusive domain of governments.