PAHO's main objective in the area of information systems is to improve health information for decision-making and program planning. In recent years, the organization has led an initiative to develop and maintain a regional plan for strengthening health information systems and has joined other initiatives in assisting countries in the production of improved health statistics.
PAHO's main objective in the area of information systems is to improve health information for decision-making and program planning. In recent years, the organization has led an initiative to develop and maintain a regional plan for strengthening health information systems and has joined other initiatives in assisting countries in the production of improved health statistics.
The Regional Plan for the Strengthening Vital and Health Statistics in the countries of the Americas (PEVS for its acronyms in Spanish) draws on the experience of the United Nations Statistics Division; incorporates the conceptual framework of the Health Metrics Network and the dynamics of the relationships between determining factors and their impact as outlined in the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) Framework; and adopts its own vision regarding information production processes.
Since 2004, PAHO and MEASURE Evaluation have executed a joint technical cooperation project, under the framework of the PAHO/USAID-LAC Bureau umbrella project, oriented toward strengthening HIS in selected countries in the Americas Region using the HMN and PRISM models.
The primary objectives of this joint effort have been to use and promote standardized frameworks, methodologies, and instruments to monitor HIS operations; to identify, document, and disseminate successful experiences, key processes, and lessons learned relating to assessment processes; and to design strategic plans to strengthen HIS in selected countries.
Through the Regional Plan of Action for Strengthening Vital and Health Statistics, PAHO participates in processes put in place to improve these statistics in the countries of the Region. The technical cooperation provided covers topics such as quality and coverage of statistics, horizontal cooperation between countries and coordination among international agencies and other protagonists working to strengthen health information systems in the Region of the Americas.
Official documents and resolutions |
Technical reports |
Guidelines |
CD50/INF/6 Progress Reports on Technical Matters - October 2010 CD50/INF/6 C Plan of action for strengthening Vital and health statistics - October 2010 CE146/INF/6. Rev.1 Progress Reports on Technical Matters - June 2010 CE146/INF/6. Rev.1 C Process report: Plan of action for strengthening Vital and health statistics - June 2010 CD48/09 Regional plan of action for strengthening Vital and health statistics - October 2008 CD48.R6 Resolution: Regional plan of action for strengthening Vital and health statistics - October 2008 CE142/15 Plan of action for strengthening vital and health statistics - June 2008 CE142.R4 Resolution: Plan of action for strengthening vital and health statistics - June 2008 CSP27/13 Strategy for strengthening vital and health statistics in the countries of the americas - October 2007 CSP27.R12 Resolution: Strategy for strengthening vital and health statistics in the countries of the americas - October 2007 CD140/15 Strategy for strengthening vital and health statistics in the countries of the americas - June 2007 CE140.R16 Resolution: Strategy for strengthening vital and health statistics in the countries of the americas - June 2007 |
Click here (Spanish only) |
Click here (Spanish only) |
For further information on PAHO's work in strengthening health information systems, please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PAHO and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have a long history of partnering to strengthen priority health areas in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, particularly the improvement of health services in the context of Primary Health Care. The objective of this component includes the strengthening of health information systems.
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- Official documents (Spanish only)
- Reports
- Tools (Spanish only)
The RELACSIS Network was officially launched in Lima, Peru in April of 2010 as an activity within the information systems component of the PAHO/USAID project, in alliance with MEASURE-Evaluation. Its main objective is to strengthen health information systems and the use and dissemination of information. Its main purpose is to articulate regional efforts for the continuous improvement of health information systems among the network participants.
The Regional Advisory Committee on Health Statistics (CRAES for its Spanish name) is an advisory body created by PAHO to carry out a periodic analysis of the main challenges in all aspects of the analytical use of health data and statistics in the Region of the Americas. The recommendations put forth by the CRAES serve as guidelines for the Organization in the improvement of data collection, processing, analysis, and generation of evidence for decision-making in health.
Read more about the CRAES... (Spanish only)
PAHO's technical cooperation in the area of information systems includes the development and design of technology and applications that enable countries to initiate or strengthen health surveillance and improve health and vital statistics.
One example is a fully customizable, free Web application called ViEpi, which was designed to manage and increase public health surveillance activities. With ViEpi, institutions throughout a national surveillance system are able. among other things, to record individual and grouped surveillance data including laboratory results, create event profiles using GIS analysis, and set up alerts based on international standards.