Digital Transformations for Health Lab

What Digital Transformations for Health Lab does

Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) is a Geneva-based non-profit research and policy consortium founded to operationalize the recommendations of the Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030. The organization operates across four program areas: Digitally Enabled Health Systems, Digital and Data Governance, Digital Determinants of Health, and Digital Citizenship for Health. DTH-Lab produces frameworks, policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications, and position papers (in BMJ, Lancet, and PLOS Digital Health), and convenes youth-engagement programs including Regional Youth Champions (10 RYCs across 7 SDG regions), the Research Fellows Programme (8–10 LMIC early-career researchers annually), and the #MyHealthFutures Youth Network. Its core "products" are knowledge artifacts and policy tools (e.g., Digital Citizenship for Health Framework, Y5 Futures Framework, Data Solidarity Approach, Digitally Enabled Health Systems Framework) rather than commercial software.

The organization is hosted at the University of Geneva (Campus Biotech) and is led by Director Ilona Kickbusch and Executive Director Aferdita Bytyqi, with a core team of approximately 20 staff plus contractors and consultants. DTH-Lab's revenue model is grant-funded research and commissioned policy work; it does not sell commercial products or services, and its publications are open-access. Strategic partners include WHO (Youth Council, WHO Europe), Council of Europe, PLOS, Bertelsmann Stiftung, University of Vienna, Ashoka University, and global youth organizations such as IFMSA and the Global Shapers Community. The organization's primary "customers" are policymakers, multilateral institutions, and youth networks; engagement is event-driven (World Health Summit, European Health Forum Gastein, G7 processes) and community-led through youth co-creation.

Name

Digital Transformations for Health Lab

Legal name

Digital Transformations for Health Lab

Website

https://dthlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Digital Transformations for Health Lab is a Geneva-based non-profit research and policy consortium that drives inclusive digital health governance through youth co-creation, producing frameworks and policy briefs for WHO, the Council of Europe, and global health policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Digital Health Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Systems Strengthening & Global Health Technical Assistance (BPADAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Systems Strengthening & Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnerships (HLAJAOAL), Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• Digital health governance
• Health policy research
• Youth engagement programs
• Digital determinants of health
• Data solidarity research

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Commissioned Work: DTH-Lab operates as a research consortium receiving grants and commissioned research from academic institutions, multilateral organizations, and foundations to advance digital health policy research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

DTH-Lab is a non-profit research and policy laboratory that drives inclusive and equitable digital transformations of health by generating research, driving policy innovation, and shaping the public and political agenda through partnerships and youth co-creation. It produces peer-reviewed publications, conceptual frameworks (e.g., Digital Citizenship for Health, Data Solidarity, Digital Childhood Profiles), policy declarations (e.g., WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies), and operates youth engagement vehicles including the Regional Youth Champions Programme, Research Fellows Programme, and the #MyHealthFutures Youth Network.

Product overview

DTH-Lab is a research and policy laboratory — not a commercial software product company — that operates across four interconnected program areas: Digitally Enabled Health Systems (co-creating Digital First Health Systems with young people), Digital and Data Governance (advancing value-based governance of digital transformations), Digital Determinants of Health (addressing how digital environments affect health and well-being), and Digital Citizenship for Health (empowering people to critically engage with digital ecosystems). These programs are supported by youth engagement vehicles including the Regional Youth Champions (RYC) Programme, the Research Fellows Programme, and the #MyHealthFutures Youth Network, as well as commissioned publications, frameworks, and policy declarations such as the WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies. DTH-Lab also houses the continuation of The Lancet FT Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030. The organization's offerings are primarily knowledge products (reports, frameworks, policy briefs, youth networks) rather than commercial software products or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digitally Enabled Health Systems Program A core work area focused on co-creating Digital First Health Systems with young people, ensuring digitally enabled health systems address the needs of young people.
• Digital and Data Governance Program
• Digital Determinants of Health Program
• Digital Citizenship for Health Program
• Regional Youth Champions Programme
• Research Fellows Programme
• #MyHealthFutures Youth Network
• The Lancet FT Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030 A major commission producing research and policy recommendations on governing digital transformations of health, the foundational initiative from which DTH-Lab emerged.
• Digital Childhood Profiles 2026 A report that reassesses digital childhood profiles in response to new evidence on digital determinants of health, synthesizing literature and proposing revised digital profiles to inform actions addressing access inequalities and children's digital experiences.
• Youth Health and Well-being in National, Regional and Global AI Governance Instruments A report by Research Fellow Shajoe Lake that analyses how national and multinational AI governance instruments address youth health and well-being, introducing the Y5 (Youth Five) Futures Framework.
• Healthy Digital Diets: A Review of Existing Guidelines for Young People's Technology Use A systematic desk review and quantitative analysis of 36 global, regional and national guidelines (2015–2025) on healthy use of digital technologies by children and adolescents.
• Digital Citizenship for Health: Platform Assessment Research examining what would be needed to build a Digital Citizenship for Health platform, drawing lessons from the Digital Citizenship+ Resource Platform and Better Internet for Kids models.
• Digitally Enabled Health Systems Framework A framework for health leaders that places young people at the centre of digitally enabled health systems, launched June 2026.
• WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies A youth-authored declaration launched at the World Health Summit 2024 outlining ten calls to action across three priority areas for co-creating healthy societies grounded in well-being, resilience, and trust.
• Shaping Policy on the Digital Determinants of Health with WHO Europe
• Increasing Youth Participation in Science with PLOS
• Empowering Digital Citizens for Health with Council of Europe

Quantifiable outcome

• Led drafting of WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies with 10 calls to action launched at World Health Summit 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WHO Youth CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DTH-Lab has been an inaugural and active member since the WHO Youth Council's inception in 2021, currently in its second term. DTH-Lab contributes technical advice on governance approaches related to digital transformation of health. DTH-Lab led the drafting and delivery of the WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies launched at World Health Summit 2024.
• WHO EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on shaping policy on the digital determinants of health. DTH-Lab works with WHO Europe to advance understanding and policy frameworks addressing how digital factors affect health outcomes.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to empower young people as digital citizens for health. DTH-Lab collaborates with Council of Europe to ensure digital citizenship initiatives support young people in maximizing health benefits of digitalization and protecting them from digital harms.
• PLOS (Public Library of Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to increase youth participation in science. PLOS collaboration includes youth-authored publication series on digital citizenship for health in PLOS Digital Health.
• Bertelsmann StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of World Health Summit Side Meeting on 'Building Healthier Digital Futures with Information Integrity'. Bertelsmann Stiftung hosts DTH-Lab at their Berlin offices for high-level panel discussions.
• University of Vienna (Data Solidarity team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on data solidarity research and European Health Forum Gastein side events. Barbara Prainsack (Director of Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity) and Magdalena Eitenberger are key collaborators.
• Ashoka UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of DTH-Lab Regional Youth Champions Annual Meeting September 2025 at Ashoka University Campus, New Delhi, India. Anurag Agrawal (Dean of Biosciences) is a founding member of DTH-Lab Steering Committee.
• International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor youth partner representing 1.3 million medical students from 131 countries. Collaboration includes digital health webinars, youth consultations, and capacity-building workshops.
• International Pharmaceutical Students FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization partner for pharmacy students globally, collaborating on digital health education and advocacy initiatives.
• Global Shapers Community (World Economic Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of young leaders engaged in digital health transformation. DTH-Lab alumni including El Ghali Ouali Alami (Fez Hub lead) and Saif Malhem (AI Future Lab founder) are part of this community.
• WHO Global Health Workforce Network Youth HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTH-Lab Youth Engagement Coordinator and RYCs collaborate with WHO Youth Hub on workforce and health policy issues affecting young people.
• WHO EU Youth4Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean youth network focused on health policy, with DTH-Lab team members and RYCs actively participating.
• Youth Health OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth-led organization engaged in global health advocacy, part of DTH-Lab's broader youth stakeholder network.
• Yet4H (Youth for Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth health network partner contributing to DTH-Lab's youth engagement ecosystem.
• Young Federation Public Health AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth public health professionals network collaborating with DTH-Lab on policy advocacy.
• Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTH-Lab was established to operationalize the recommendations of this landmark Commission. The Commission served as the foundational initiative that gave rise to DTH-Lab.
• University of GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for DTH-Lab. Antoine Geissbühler (Dean of Faculty of Medicine) is a founding member. Division of e-Health and Telemedicine serves as WHO collaborating centre.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• AI Now Institute: Research institute examining the social implications of AI with a focus on governance and rights. Overlaps with DTH-Lab's AI governance and Y5 Futures Framework work, particularly on youth protection and digital well-being, and operates as a non-profit research-and-policy organization.
• Open Data Institute: Non-profit focused on data governance and trust, with collaborative research and policy outputs. Comparable to DTH-Lab's Data Solidarity approach and broader digital-and-data governance agenda, with a similar mission-driven, multi-stakeholder model.
• HealthAI: Non-profit organization working on responsible AI for health, with a focus on regulation, capacity building, and country-level implementation. Most directly comparable to DTH-Lab's AI governance work and shares a non-profit, policy-oriented, multi-stakeholder operating model.
• Global Health 50/50: Independent initiative working to advance action and accountability for gender-equitable global health governance. Shares DTH-Lab's non-profit, research-plus-advocacy model and global health governance focus, with a similarly targeted, mission-driven approach.
• Digital Public Goods Alliance: Multi-stakeholder initiative advancing digital public goods in service of the SDGs. Shares DTH-Lab's digital-governance-meets-global-development orientation and operates a similar convening-standards-policy model, with strong overlap on data governance and digital inclusion.
• Transform Health Coalition: A global coalition that campaigns for the equitable digital transformation of health and universal health coverage. Transform Health is structurally similar to DTH-Lab - non-profit, global health governance focus, multi-stakeholder convening model, and policy advocacy as its primary output - making it the closest direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute: Academic research and policy center at the Geneva Graduate Institute where Director Ilona Kickbusch was founding director. Operates a similar research-and-dialogue model, produces policy-relevant publications, and convenes global health stakeholders, but covers a broader global health agenda beyond digital transformation.
• Center for Global Development: Leading think tank producing research and policy recommendations on global development, including global health. Comparable to DTH-Lab in producing peer-reviewed research that informs multilateral policy, but operates at a larger scale and broader agenda.
• Chatham House, Centre for Global Health: Royal Institute of International Affairs center focused on independent policy research. Comparable to DTH-Lab as a mission-driven global health policy research organization, with a broader geopolitical and security agenda but similar convening capacity and influence model.
• UNICEF Generation Unlimited: UNICEF's global multi-sector partnership focused on skills, education, employment, and engagement for young people. Overlaps with DTH-Lab's youth engagement agenda and digital health inclusion, with substantially more resources but a broader development mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/dthlab.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/DTHLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dth-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/dthlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Digital Transformations for Health Lab