Washington D.C. 2 October 2024 (PAHO) – Ministers and high-level health authorities of the Region of the Americas today agreed to implement a series of strategies to strengthen information systems for health. The plan is expected to significantly improve the effectiveness, comprehensiveness, and responsiveness of health systems, prioritizing the first level of care, which is crucial for efficient patient care and disease prevention.
The Plan of Action for Strengthening Information Systems for Health 2024-2030, adopted today by the 61st Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), seeks to provide countries with the tools to improve data management and evidence-based decision-making for health. The plan also aims to facilitate the adoption of cost-effective emerging digital health solutions, and improve standards, legislation and human competencies for the digital transformation of the health sector.
"The Plan of Action to Strengthen Information Systems for Health 2024-2030 is an essential tool to drive the digital transformation of the health sector in the Americas. Based on a collective effort and lessons learned, this plan prioritizes effective data management, technological innovation, and ethical governance to enhance the responsiveness and resilience of our health systems,” Dr. Sebastian Garcia Saiso, Director of PAHO’s Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health said.
While the Region of the Americas has made significant progress towards enhancing information systems for health (IS4H) and digitizing health data, an assessment carried out by PAHO shows that progress towards strengthening information systems for health is uneven. Some countries remain at the early stages of adopting health information systems, using primarily analogue data, while a very small percentage of countries have achieved highly integrated systems that are aligned with national and international standards.
Four strategic lines of action
The plan of action establishes four lines of action designed to enhance the capacity of health systems to achieve better health outcomes through the development and use of information systems for health:
- Strengthen management and governance of information systems
- Strengthen data management and information technologies
- Strengthen information and knowledge management
- Foster innovation and digital health
The new plan of action will also contribute to the fulfillment of important mandates of the organization, including the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector in the Region of the Americas, and is aligned with the recommendations made by Member States at the RELACSIS 4.0 Regional Meeting held in São Paulo, Brazil, in November 2023, and the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector Meeting in Panama City in November 2022, where key strategic partners—such as the IDB, World Bank, CDC, USAID, Bloomberg Philanthropies, AECID, Vital Strategies, GIZ, and others—came together to voice their support for this important regional initiative.
