Pretoria:Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani and Minister of Communication Technologies Sofiene Hemissi have signed the 'National Charter for Health.' The signing took place during the closing of the international digital health conference 'Telehealth Connect 2026,' which was held in Tunisia from September 29 to October 1, 2026. The event was attended by several ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, and healthcare partners. According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse - English, the National Charter for Health aims to expedite the country's progress towards universal health coverage and strengthen the implementation of the right to health as outlined in Article 43 of the 2022 Constitution. The charter emphasizes the role of digital transformation as a key driver in developing the healthcare system and improving access to health services. The initiative is structured around six key pillars, including ensuring equitable digital access to healthcare services, maintaining continuity and coordina tion of care pathways, establishing sovereign and secure governance of health data, modernizing digital infrastructure and platforms, developing skills, research, and innovation, and strengthening the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Minister Ferjani highlighted that digital health is crucial for achieving universal health coverage. He mentioned that the charter forms an agreement between the Ministry of Health and its international partners, notably Japan, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank, to support Tunisia's efforts in this area. He explained that universal health coverage ensures that all citizens, especially those in remote regions, have access to healthcare services and can benefit from digitalization and telemedicine, thus reducing the physical and financial burdens of obtaining medical care. Significant progress has been made in Tunisia's digital health transformation. The national vaccination platform EVAX has connected approximately 2,000 centers and monitored 13 million vaccine doses. Following successful pilot phases, the national health identifier, shared electronic medical records, and telemedicine services are being rolled out nationwide. The international conference allowed for extensive discussions among stakeholders, culminating in the signing of the charter. The next steps involve implementing the commitments and continuing cooperation with international partners. The 2026 Global Digital Health Summit in Tunisia also facilitated broad cooperation opportunities with international organizations and companies in digital health, with representatives from over 35 countries participating. The 'Tunis Declaration' emerged from the summit, providing a roadmap for enhancing digital health cooperation, emphasizing digital sovereignty, personal data protection, national capabilities, and responsible artificial intelligence use in healthcare. A meeting in Japan is planned for December to discuss the roadmap for universal health coverage, in collaboration with partners such as the WHO, Japan, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Tunisia's commitments under the National Charter for Health will be presented at the Universal Health Coverage Summit in Tokyo in December 2026. The minister emphasized that Tunisia's digital transformation aims to fundamentally reorganize the healthcare system beyond merely digitizing administrative processes, with success measured by improved access, continuity, and quality of healthcare services. The charter encourages coordinated efforts among all stakeholders, including public institutions, healthcare professionals, academic institutions, the private sector, and international partners, to achieve its goals of advancing universal health coverage. Supported by the World Bank and WHO, the charter serves as a platform for international cooperation, enhancing healthcare systems' capacity to meet population needs.