The world is off track to achieve Universal Health Coverage (SDGs target 3.8) by 2030. Persistent inequalities remain a major barrier, with national progress often masking deep disparities within countries (WHO,2025) with women facing significant barriers when seeking essential healthcare, treatment, and support. Digital health presents itself as an enabler to accelerate progress towards UHC, extending the reach of health services to underserved and marginalised communities - but without taking a gender intentional approach women risk being left further behind. This article explores why taking a gender intentional approach in the digital transformation of health is not just a matter of equity but a prerequisite for achieving UHC.
Closing the gender gap in digital health to achieve UHC
Transform Health’s policy brief, ‘Establishing Gender Equitable Foundations for Digital Health Transformation to Advance Universal Health Coverage’ highlighted key challenges that constrain the transformative potential of digital health for women and girls, including around digital access and those associated with digital use. Millions of women continue to face barriers accessing essential healthcare and digital exclusion compounds this. According to GSMA’s 2024 Mobile Gender Gap Report, 785 million women in LMICs remain offline, and thereby excluded from the benefits of digital health. For those connected, the digital tools are not being designed with women’s needs in mind, limiting their ability to engage fully. Adding on to this, connected women may face online gender based violence coupled with risks of data misuse and exploitation by third parties arising from weak data governance.
Furthermore, underinvestment in health workers’ digital skills limits the integration of ehealth services into primary health care services, hindering unconnected girls’ access to health services. Women make up nearly 70% of the global health workforce, yet only 25% of leadership positions. This represents both a systemic barrier and a missed opportunity. Evidence shows that when women are in decision making roles, they positively influence maternal and health policies, strengthen facility performance and reduce inequalities. Ensuring women’s equal representation is a proven strategy for stronger health systems and progress towards UHC.
A call to action
The challenges are clear. The need to address them even more so. Transform Health calls on governments, funders, and implementers to take bold, gender-intentional action to ensure the digital health transformation delivers UHC for all, including women and girls. We call for action in three priority areas:
Advocacy in action
Transform Health is walking the talk. Through initiatives such as the women leaders in digital health database, the coalition is actively profiling and positioning women’s leadership to ensure gender-balanced representation in key convenings and discussions. Transform Health is committed to promoting the perspectives and leadership of youth, women and marginalised groups in all aspects of our work. We have developed a coalition-wide measurable, implementation plan on equity and inclusion which can be accessed through the equity and inclusion dashboard.
There is no digital health transformation without women. Centering women at the heart of the digital health transformation is essential for achieving UHC. That is why Transform Health is taking an intentional approach and working with partners to strengthen collaborative action on gender and digital health, including taking forward our calls to action. We urge policymakers, funders and implementers to drive a more inclusive future of digital health transformation, ensuring women and girls remain at the center.
This article was written by Ndifanji Namacha, Policy Manager at Transform Health. Transform Health is a global coalition of 200+ organisations driving the digital transformation of health to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Transform Health’s efforts focus on strengthening the enabling environment – the laws, regulation, policies, coordination structures and resources – that ensure an equitable, inclusive and sustainable digital health transformation and to ensure that digital technology is adopted responsibly, equitably, and at scale.
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