WHO: countries demand support for comprehensive health information
16 March 2011
Emerging countries want "help in developing information systems for collecting comprehensive health information, and not a range of separate systems for data on individual diseases," says the WHO Director-General. In opening an 11 March consultation on global health governance, Dr Margaret Chan conveyed what type of aid developing countries seek. Developing countries aim to build their own capacity through development assistance; it must be directed towards their own priorities and help develop essential health infrastructures and capacities.
To guide countries in developing and strengthening their health information systems, the Health Metrics Network (HMN) developed the standard reference, the HMN Framework. As of June 2010, 83 countries (nearly 70% of low and lower-middle income countries) are applying the HMN Framework to strengthen national health information systems. Through HMN's ongoing MOVE-IT initiative, HMN is aiding countries in developing better vital statistics, by making them an integral part of an integrated health information system.