Health data and health information systems in the Western Pacific

Health information is used by policy-makers, planners, health care providers, development partners and the general public to track health system performance, support better health policies and make effective health-related decisions. In the Western Pacific Region, there are ongoing efforts to improve the availability, quality and use of health information at country, regional and global levels. Making better use of health data standards, validation processes, sharing, visualization and analysis will improve utilization of health information.

WHO promotes health information system improvements through peer-to-peer networks, knowledge sharing and technical assistance. It supports countries to attain multisectoral, coordinated, country ownership of health information systems. Finally, WHO assists them to strengthen capacity, improve data quality and put in place information systems to generate more reliable population health information, such as vital statistics.