New Delhi

February 9, 2026

C-DAC Delhi commenced the Certificate Course in Digital Health Governance (CCDHG) on February 9th, 2026 under the ITEC Scheme of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The one-week programme was conducted for 10 participants from Zambia, with support from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and UNDP.

To formally inaugurate the programme, an Induction Ceremony was heldon February09th, 2026 at C-DAC Delhi. The event was attended by participants representing various Government Departments and Ministries from the participating country.

The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Shri Jaibheem, Project Manager, ICD, C-DAC Delhi. This was followed by the traditional lighting of the lamp accompanied by Saraswathi Vandana, led by the UNDP delegation headed by Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP India, along with Dr. Pawan Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India; Shri Vijay Kumar Kayat, Scientist E & ITEC Coordinator, C-DAC Delhi; and Shri Abhimanyu Saxena, Team Lead – Health Systems Strengthening, UNDP India.

Shri Vijaykumar Kayat presented an overview of ITEC and C-DAC, highlighted the ITEC Scheme of the Ministry of External Affairs as a flagship initiative of India’s developmental cooperation, showcased C-DAC’s global footprint and indigenously developed technologies, and urged participants to serve as goodwill ambassadors by promoting ITECsponsored courses.

Dr. Pawan Kumar delivered the opening address, providing a detailed overview of India’s digital health ecosystem, with particular emphasis on digital platforms and systems underpinning national immunisation programmes. He underscored the strategic role of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in policy formulation, programme implementation, and the strengthening of public health infrastructure through technology-enabled interventions.He highlighted the pivotal importance of vaccines in disease prevention, improved health outcomes, and pandemic preparedness. He also shared perspectives on how India’s digital health architecture and governance frameworks could serve as effective reference models for Zambia and other partner nations participating under the ITEC programme.

Subsequently, Dr. Angela Lusigi delivered her special remarks, underscoring the significance of robust digital health governance and highlighting the maturity of India’s digital health ecosystem. She noted that these initiatives offer valuable, practice-oriented insights for participants from Zambia, particularly in enhancing health system efficiency, strengthening immunisation programmes, and improving service delivery.Dr. Lusigi further emphasized the indispensable role of vaccines in disease prevention and in fostering resilient and sustainable public health systems, reaffirming UNDP’s commitment to advancing health innovation and international development cooperation through the ITEC programme.

During the introductory session, participants expressed their sincere appreciation to the Indian Missions and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, for facilitating their participation in the ITEC programme. They also conveyed their gratitude to C-DAC Delhi and UNDP for curating a comprehensive, well-structured, and content-rich course.The participants further outlined their expectations from the programme, emphasizing their intent to acquire advanced competencies in Digital Health Governance over the course of the training.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of training kits to all participants by Dr Pawan Kumar, Shri Vijay Kumar Kayat, and Shri Abhimanyu Saxena, followed by a group photograph.