Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Health Promotion Perspectives 2228-6497 16 2 2026 08 21 Embracing Digital Health Innovations to Enhance Universal Health Coverage Through SMART Health Governance 127 133 10.34172/hpp.45788 EN Susan S. Francis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1009-3891 Vijay Kumar Chattu https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9840-8335 Journal Article 10.34172/hpp.45788 2026 02 26 2026 08 01 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the core objectives of global health and development programs worldwide, but progress remains uneven and fragile, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This perspective paper examines the role of digital health innovations (DHIs) in improving UHC and argues that their impact is shaped by the quality of governance under which they are designed and implemented. DHIs have increasingly been promoted as mechanisms to improve access, efficiency, transparency, and continuity of care. Yet across several LMICs, DHIs are often implemented in a fragmented manner, limiting their contribution to equitable, sustainable progress toward UHC. The paper highlights how governance attributes such as accountability, transparency, responsiveness, and ethical oversight influence digital health outcomes. It also discusses how smart health governance, characterized by simple, moral, accountable, responsive, and transparent institutional arrangements, is essential to align digital health investments with national health priorities and equity objectives. The paper argues that integrating digital health innovation with governance reform is critical for strengthening health system performance and achieving sustainable progress toward UHC for all.