AKDN DIGITAL HEALTH PROGRAM

In remote and mountainous regions of South and Central Asia, reaching quality healthcare often requires long travel through difficult terrain and extreme weather. To overcome these barriers, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) launched its Digital Health Programme in 2007, initially connecting the French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) in Kabul to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi for teleradiology consultations. This initiative has since grown into a cross-border network spanning 94 digital health sites across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kenya, and Tanzania.

2007 - 2025

Progress in Six Countries

120,879

Teleconsultation Provided

7,346

eLearning Sessions

11,654

eLearning Participants

60

Digital Health Sites

Operating through a hub-and-spoke model, the Programme enables both real-time and store-and-forward teleconsultations, connecting remote providers with specialists at hub hospitals such as AKUH and FMIC. To date, the Programme has facilitated 92,882 teleconsultations, including services in more than 15 medical specialties such as psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology, obstetrics, and cardiology to ensure timely specialist care for underserved populations. It has also strengthened health systems by training 53,679 healthcare professionals through 6,177 eLearning sessions, reducing professional isolation and building local expertise.

With proven scalability and sustainability, the AKDN Digital Health Programme continues to strengthen resilience, drive digital health system strengthening, and expand equitable access to high-quality care for women, children, and marginalized populations across the network.