Description
Digital health is often presented as a magic bullet to resolve health crises such as pandemics and epidemics. Yet the term “digital health” is still rather recent, although the digitalisation of healthcare has been progressing for more than two decades – albeit predominantly outside the focus of global health agencies and institutions. In this paper, I seek to explain how the most prominent global health institution, the World Health Organization (WHO), has transformed digital health into a norm of global health. Thereby I highlight how certain – mainly Southern and local – voices are marginalised in the debates on digital health, whereas others are pushed to the forefront. The analysis of these marginalised, even invisible voices builds on the results of an extensive Discourse Network Analysis and semi-structured interviews with former and recent WHO experts. I compare the media debate with documents from international organisations (IOs) in order to identify the varying dynamics of marginalisation in both discursive forums. The paper argues that IOs act as gatekeepers that regulate access to the discourse around digital health, in particular in times of crisis; on the other hand, IOs themselves become marginalised in the media discussion. I base my argumentation on the theory of epistemic injustice.
