Call for Abstracts (Planned publication: 2026)

The National Department of Health (NDoH) and the CSIR invite the submission of abstracts for the second edited volume titled Building Trust and Driving Change within South Africa’s Digital Health Ecosystem. This volume builds on the foundations laid by the 2024 publication and shifts the focus toward implementation, transformation, trust, and long-term stewardship of South Africa’s National Health Information System in support of National Health Insurance (NHI) and Universal Health Coverage.

Contributions may include research-based, practice-based, policy-oriented, technical, or reflective perspectives, provided they demonstrate analytical rigour and relevance to national digital health priorities.

Core Themes

Building Trust

• Transparency and accountability in digital health governance

• Privacy and data security, including compliance with POPIA

• Ethical artificial intelligence and responsible innovation

• Stakeholder engagement and co-design

• Digital literacy and user empowerment

Driving Change

• Digital transformation and health infrastructure development

• Integrated health information systems and data use

• Evidence-based decision-making and analytics

• Interoperability and standards (including FHIR and the HNSF)

• Leadership, governance, and institutional capacity

• Change management and workforce development

• Innovation, partnerships, and sustainability of digital health systems

Abstract Format and Limits

• Language: South African / British English

• Font: TNR, size 11

• Maximum length: 500 words (excluding title and author details)

• Abstracts must be structured under the following headings:

  • Purpose

  • Study design / methodology / approach

  • Findings

  • Originality / value

  • Keywords

Selection and Review Process

Abstracts will be reviewed by the editorial team based on their relevance to the themes, clarity and coherence, analytical and methodological rigour, and contribution to national digital health priorities.

Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full chapters of approximately 3,000–5,000 words. These chapters will undergo a double-blind peer review process, and acceptance may be conditional on revisions.

Key Dates

• Call for abstracts: 19 December 2025

• Final submission of abstracts: 28 February 2026

• Acceptance of abstracts and call for chapters: 5 March 2026

• Final date for submission of chapters: 5 June 2026

• Reviewer feedback on chapters: 24 July 2026

• Final corrected chapters due: 31 August 2026

• Draft 1 of the book compiled: 30 September 2026

• Editing complete (Draft 2): 23 October 2026

• Final corrections: 20 November 2026

• Publication: December 2026

Submission and Contact

Abstracts must be submitted via the EasyChair submission platform (conference page link provided in the call).

For queries, authors may contact the editorial team by email with the subject line “Clarification” at:digitalhealthbook@health.gov.za