DTH-Lab - Fondation Botnar

DTH-Lab: Digital transformations for health – achieving the future we want

Enabling liveable and sustainable city systems

Stronger digital and data governance to improve young people’s health and wellbeing

Launched in August 2023, Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) is a global consortium of partners working to drive implementation of The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030’s recommendations. DTH-Lab supports inclusive and equitable digital transformations of health by generating research, driving policy innovation, shaping the public and political agenda through partnerships and youth co-creation. The establishment of DTH-Lab is being made possible by a 3.5 year grant from Fondation Botnar.

Putting young people’s health and wellbeing at the centre of digital transformations

Many young people have grown up alongside digital technologies, and they are among the first to demand and gain a clear set of rights regarding rapid technological development for their health and wellbeing.

Digital innovations can help to improve young people’s health and wellbeing and achieve universal health coverage through their application in health systems, public health promotion and prevention, and personal self-management of health status and behaviours. However, without good governance, digital transformations can undermine health and exacerbate inequality.

As connectivity levels increase, concerted efforts are required to ensure that digital technologies are harnessed to support better health and wellbeing for all and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Giving young people the opportunity to engage in these discussions will ensure that digital solutions benefit young people’s health and wellbeing.

Promoting cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation and policy solutions

DTH-Lab brings youth together with policymakers, technology companies and other stakeholders to drive change in:

Digital first health systems: Co-creating digital first health systems with young people
Digital and data governance: Advancing value-based governance of digital transformations to support better health outcomes
Digital determinants of health: Addressing the digital determinants of health and wellbeing
Digital citizenship for health: Empowering people to critically engage with digital ecosystems

The convening power of DTH-Lab’s global consortium has brought together youth, policymakers and a wide range of academic, public and private partners to co-create digital solutions rooted in equity and public value – including with the EU Polish Presidency, OECD, UHC 2030, the Council of Europe and Africa CDC.

In 2024, DTH-Lab contributed to drafting and launching the WHO Youth Declaration for Healthy and Inclusive Societies. In 2025, DTH-Lab collaborated with WHO Europe and the Ministry of Health Poland to publish a critical policy brief addressing the digital determinants of youth mental health and wellbeing.

Working in partnership with the University of Vienna, DTH-Lab launched a Data Solidarity Glossary to promote a better understanding of data solidarity and its relationship to other governance approaches.

Meaningful youth engagement

The Commission emphasised the importance of enfranchised communities and public participation in shaping health governance. DTH-Lab ensures its work aligns with young people’s health priorities by involving them as key agents of change. It does this in a number of ways: partnering with youth-led organisations, through its Regional Youth Champions, and the annual Research Fellowship Programme, which offers students and early career professionals from low- and middle-income countries opportunities to support a specific area of DTH-Lab’s research.