The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific and Transform Health have signed a three-year Project Collaboration Agreement to strengthen health data governance across the Region.
In today’s digital age, where technology is deeply embedded in many aspects of our lives, the governance of personal health data is an increasingly important issue, both for citizens and on political agendas. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), it is even more critical than ever to ensure that health data is governed effectively and equitably. This means maximizing its potential to improve health outcomes and serve the public good, while protecting individual rights and mitigating its misuse.
Health data governance is complex and multifaceted. However, what is urgently needed are strong legislative and regulatory safeguards to ensure data is used responsibly and ethically, and that people’s rights are upheld.
Countries across the Western Pacific Region are taking different approaches and are at different stages in their health data governance journeys. Many have recognized the need to strengthen their national frameworks to better respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.
Through this collaboration, WHO and Transform Health aim to advance health data governance in three key areas:
- Increase awareness of the issue, including through expert webinars and events;
- Support government action by identifying gaps in national health data legislative and regulatory frameworks and supporting the participatory development of multisectoral, government-owned implementation roadmaps; and
- Enhance regional alignment by developing regional guidance on health data governance for presentation to Member States.
By leveraging their respective expertise, networks and resources, WHO and Transform Health will support countries in strengthening their health data governance frameworks – ultimately contributing to more equitable health outcomes for all.
“Rapid advancements in digital health offer the potential to radically transform health and health care and reshape the future of health. But this can only happen with the trust of people, which is why we must work collectively to strengthen the governance of health data with the rights of people at the centre. By partnering with Transform Health, we can catalyse our efforts to strengthen health data governance frameworks in the Region to improve health for families, communities and societies,” said Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
“As digital technologies and AI reshape health systems, strong data governance is essential to ensure that data flowing through these systems is governed responsibly, ethically and equitably. Our collaboration with WHO in the Western Pacific marks an important step towards stronger national and regional frameworks for health data governance - frameworks that protect people’s rights, build trust and enable the responsible use of data
Notes:
The WHO Regional Action Framework on Digital Health in the Western Pacific, endorsed by Member States in 2024, provides guidance for countries to leverage digital technologies and empower all actors within the digital health ecosystem to improve access to quality sustainable health care. Governance and data are two of five key domains identified in the Regional Action Framework
Transform Health is an international non-government organization consisting of a coalition of more than 215 organizations across 65 countries advocating for and supporting the enabling environment to harness digital technology and the use of data to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. This includes developing tools and providing support to strengthen health data frameworks.