Hybrid Session: Forging Stronger Partnerships and Global Scalability

Stage with two People on stage and screen with announcing slide of pannelists

The panel discussion "Forging Stronger Partnerships and Global Scalability" was a highlight of the openIMIS Community Meeting 2026 in Kathmandu, Nepal, a country where openIMIS software has been used to transform the management of health and social protection for nearly 20 million beneficiaries through the Social Health Insurance and Employment Injury Insurance programs.

You can watch the entire session here:

The session explored how experiences from country implementations and collaborative partnerships with global stakeholders like the ILO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and beyond have expanded openIMIS from a health financing tool into a versatile Digital Public Good (DPG) for the management of wider social protection programs.

Stage with all three panelists and facilitator on stage with another person on the screen — From left to right: Saurav Bhattarai, Team Lead openIMIS coordination desk, Global Alliances for Social Protection (GIZ); Dr Anicet Désiré Mintop, Coordinator of the UHC National Technical Unit (Ministry of Health, Cameroon); Ernesto Brodersohn, Coordinator of Technical Commission on ICT and Organization Management and Innovation (International Social Security Association (ISSA)) (on screen); Mathilde Mailfert, Health Financing and Social Health Protection Technical Officer from ILO; Alexandre Cote, Social Policy Specialist Disability and Social Protection Lead from UNICEF

Panellists, including leaders from Cameroon's Ministry of Health, ILO, UNICEF, ISSA, and the World Bank, shared firsthand experiences on how openIMIS' modular, country-driven architecture has enabled adaptability, from cash transfers and humanitarian assistance to disability-inclusive systems and climate-responsive social protection. Reflecting on Nepal's journey and other large-scale implementations, the discussion underscored how shared ownership, open-source collaboration, and decentralized knowledge-sharing have driven innovation and scalability in digital health and social protection.

Men and women on stage, women on microfon. — Left: Mathilde Mailfert, Health Financing and Social Health Protection Technical Officer from ILO. Right: Alexandre Cote, Social Policy Specialist Disability and Social Protection Lead from UNICEF

The panel also connected past milestones to future opportunities, building on openIMIS' evolution from early community-based schemes to its current role as a backbone for integrated systems reaching more than 38 Mio people in 14+ countries. Through guided questions, panellists highlighted how partnerships have diversified or have the potential to diversify openIMIS' applications, such as the integration of CORE-MIS (powered by openIMIS) for cash transfers, UNICEF's Disability MIS, and WFP's climate-risk mitigation tools, while addressing challenges like interoperability, stakeholder alignment, and governance. The session aimed to inspire the audience to engage with openIMIS, whether by adopting solutions, contributing to the codebase, or joining collaborative initiatives. By the end, participants left with a clear understanding of how partnerships, innovation, and community-driven development can scale impact and shape the future of digital social protection worldwide.

four people on stage with person on screen — On screen: Aissata Coulibaly, Ph.D. Economist, Social Policy, Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice (The World Bank)

Contributors

Facilitator:

Saurav Bhattarai, Team Lead openIMIS, Global Alliances for Social Protection / GIZ

Panellists:

Mathilde Mailfert, Health Financing and Social Health Protection Technical Officer / ILO
Dr Anicet Désiré Mintop, Coordinator of the UHC National Technical Unit / Ministry of Health, Cameroon
Ernesto Brodersohn, Coordinator of Technical Commission on ICT and Organization Management and Innovation / International Social Security Association (ISSA)
Aissata Coulibaly, Ph.D. Economist, Social Policy, Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice / The World Bank
Alexandre Cote, Social Policy Specialist Disability and Social Protection Lead / UNICEF