Estonia will help the WHO solve the COVID-19 pandemic

Tallinn, Stenbock House, 1 October 2020 – The Cabinet meeting of the Government approved the decision in principle to work closely with the WHO in the field of digital health. Prime Minister Jüri Ratas will digitally sign a protocol of joint intentions with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, President of the World Health Organisation, on Monday, 5 October.

“Cooperation with the WHO in the field of digital health is of significant significance for Estonia. This is a great recognition of our digital experience and an opportunity to contribute to the modernisation of the healthcare sector in a way that affects the whole world,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.

“In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Estonia can offer its best experience to a global organisation to accelerate the safe and reliable flow of information between countries. We have the opportunity to raise to international level the principles of decentralised governance on which the success of the entire Estonian digital state is based. Especially important is the fact that it is through our experience by which we can help the global community emerge faster from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.”

The signing of the protocol of joint intentions enables Estonian entrepreneurs and research institutions to start working on specific demonstration projects.

In the first project, companies will start digitising a “yellow vaccination card” globally, which can be used once the coronavirus vaccine has been developed. The yellow vaccination card enables reliable and transparent cross-border exchange of vaccination data.

At the same time, longer cooperation will be launched for the introduction of X-Road for the cross-border exchange of global health data. This allows the WHO and different Member States to set up different cross-border services.

Preparations for co-operation with the WHO began in October 2019.