Dr. Krishna Reddy, CEO of ACCESS Health International and Chair of the Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience (GLC4HSR), participated in the United Nations ESCAP’s ‘Regional Roundtable on Digital Public Services (DPS) for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)’, held on 26-27 August 2025 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
The roundtable, organized in cooperation with the Russian Federation, brought together policymakers, international organizations, and experts to explore how DPS can reduce administrative burdens, foster inclusive economic participation, and support SME innovation across North and Central Asia.
Dr. Reddy contributed to the Roundtable on “Strategic Partnerships, Unlocking Sector-Specific Solutions on Digital Public Services for SMEs”, where he highlighted the critical role of DPS in strengthening the health sector. Drawing on GLC4HSR’s work, he underscored the importance of equitable access, interoperability, and cross-border collaboration in building resilient health systems that also empower SMEs to deliver innovative solutions.
He noted, “Public investments and enabling policies for private sector investments are needed for equitable digital transformation of health systems in the Asia Pacific region. Building blocks like unique ID, consent manager, digilocker, etc., created for other digital public services (DPS) can be leveraged for the health sector.”
The event concluded ESCAP’s multi-year initiative under the APIS Action Plan (2022–2026) to strengthen SME-focused DPS in the region. Discussions centred on harmonizing frameworks, addressing policy and infrastructure bottlenecks, and establishing a regional expert group to guide future cooperation on digital public services.
Through such global dialogues, ACCESS Health continues to champion the integration of digital innovation into health systems, ensuring that technology-driven solutions serve as enablers of both business growth and public health resilience.