Dr Michael Adelhardt (MD, DHCMTC, MSc) is Head of the Division Health and Social Protection at GIZ, based in Eschborn, Germany. Dr Adelhardt started his career in development cooperation in 1989 working as a physician and District Medical Officer in the Zimbabwean health system for six years. After earning a public health degree, he led various national and global health programmes financed by the Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission(EC), and the German government, with duty stations in Kenya, the Philippines, and GIZ head office in Germany. Dr Adelhardt also holds a medical doctorate and a master of science in health systems management with a focus on health economics. He worked for five years with WHO in Geneva, and three years with the World Bank in Washington, in both assignments as coordinator of the global P4H Network for Universal Health Coverage and Social Protection. In his current work, he is also supporting the ‘digital by default’ agenda in GIZ’s contribution to strengthening health and social protection systems in partner countries.