Stakeholders urge govt to tackle technology-facilitated abuse

Stakeholders working in the digital health space have underscored the need for the government to prioritise addressing technology-facilitated abuse to ensure safer, more inclusive and more effective access to digital health.

Speaking at an Annual General Meeting in Accra last Thursday, the stakeholders—who are part of the Ghana Community Advisory Team (G-CAT), a group of young people serving as an advisory team for a participatory action research initiative—focused on how young adults (18–30), particularly marginalised groups, navigate the intersection of digital technology, health information and human rights.

Known as the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP), the programme, which has been running for three years, is a transnational research consortium that brings together international social scientists, human rights lawyers, health advocates and networks of people living with HIV to conduct research and investigate barriers such as data costs, stigma and online abuse to promote equity and strengthen rights-based digital health governance.

The stakeholders are Sandra Agbley, Michaella Gyatsen, Martin Ame Nuquaye, Diana Abiba Wahab and Richard Agodzo—all members of the advisory team.

Their views came on the back of a policy brief that assessed human rights in the digital age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam.

Issues

Abiba Wahab explained that people who tried to access information were being bullied and stalked, making it difficult for marginalised groups to access vital information because they felt threatened.

In the Northern part of Ghana, she said, many young ladies were not allowed to use smartphones.

Mrs Gyatsen said it was important to look at the systems of digital health and their accessibility, adding, “Many young people did not have access to consistent internet and they said phones were expensive.

“Even when they can access them, there are issues with internet connectivity, which can lead to self-diagnosis, something that could have serious consequences.”

She also said, “CSOs and NGOs exist to supplement government efforts in digital health advocacy, calling for more funding to properly understand how exponential changes in the digital space affect how regular Ghanaians navigate their virtual reality.”

 Stigma

Mr Nuquaye said many people struggled to access digital information due to stigma associated with HIV and AIDS and other minority groups.

“In the next few years, we are looking forward to empowering more people and advocating for more people to use these platforms the right way. It is becoming scarier and we are still going to continue to advocate these rights to be upheld online,” he said.

Mrs Agbley said that, based on recurring feedback from young people, she recommended and emphasised the need to make digital tools accessible and to extend internet access to remote areas.

“We can also use community-based reporting tools to protect the identities of those we receive information from and the need to promote the national campaign and train more people on how to engage communities,” she stated.

Mr Nyarko said not enough had been done on digital health and rights, adding that the results could serve as a basis for more research in the area.

“If organisations prioritise digital health, then even when there is a shortage in funding, they can make digital health and rights a priority.”

For his part, Mr Agodzo, who described the project as impactful, said the team had been instrumental in designing research questions, validating findings and acting as the mouthpiece for youth and partner organisations—representing a broad spectrum of Ghanaian youth.

Looking ahead, he called for stronger protections from both the government and giant tech firms to ensure the realisation of digital health rights, as the team advocated safer, more anonymous reporting mechanisms.