Washington, D.C., 6 April 2026 (PAHO)— The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a set of four technical publications designed to strengthen countries’ capacity in the Americas to plan, manage, and make strategic decisions on human resources for health (HRH). These tools, part of the series “Strengthening Human Resources for Health Information Systems in the Americas,” provide an integrated approach to support the development of more robust, evidence-based Human Resources for Health Information Systems (HRHIS), aligned with the Policy on Health Workforce 2030.
The publications, which are currently available only in Spanish; offer guidelines and methodologies that enable countries to establish a baseline of their HRHIS and develop roadmaps to improve the availability, quality, standardization, and interoperability of HRH data.
“Having accurate, interoperable, and timely information on the health workforce is an essential component of resilient health systems and enables countries to strengthen their response capacity to current and future emergencies,” said Benjamín Puertas, Unit Chief of Human Resources for Health at PAHO. “These four tools provide Member States with a clear framework to advance toward stronger governance through dialogue with all stakeholders, better-informed decision-making, and, ultimately, more strategic health system planning.”
Conceptual guide for the development of human resources for health information systems
Provides an updated conceptual framework to understand the strategic role of HRH information systems, addressing three core dimensions: governance, data and information, and evidence for decision-making. The guide supports countries in progressively building interoperable, multisectoral HRHIS grounded in international standards.
Download here (in Spanish: Guía conceptual para el desarrollo de sistemas de información de recursos humanos para la salud)
Maturity assessment of human resources for health information systems
Presents a four-level maturity model that allows countries to assess the current state of their systems, identify gaps, and prioritize improvement actions.
It includes a practical tool—with indicators and an automated analysis sheet—that facilitates self-assessment and strategic planning.
Download here (in Spanish: Evaluación de la madurez de los sistemas de información de recursos humanos para la salud)
Stakeholder mapping and strategic dialogue for the governance of human resources for health information systems
This methodology helps countries identify stakeholders, understand their roles, analyze institutional relationships, and establish sustained dialogue aimed at building governance agreements for the integration of data sources. It includes an operational guide, data collection matrices, diagram examples, and guidance for policy and technical dialogue.
Download here (in Spanish: Mapeo de actores y diálogo estratégico para la gobernanza de los sistemas de información de recursos humanos para la salud)
Health occupations mapping: a methodology for its application in the Americas
This publication introduces a standardized methodology to identify, classify, and harmonize health occupations across countries, aligning them with the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA). It enhances data comparability toward interoperable HRHIS and helps recognize the role of different occupations within each country.
Download here (in Spanish: Mapeo de ocupaciones de salud: Una metodología para su aplicación en la Región de las Américas)
The launch of these publications responds to persistent challenges, including data fragmentation, lack of interoperability, and the urgent need for reliable information on the health workforce. With this new set of tools, PAHO reaffirms its commitment to supporting countries in building more efficient, transparent, and decision-oriented HRH information systems—key elements for advancing toward universal access to health and universal health coverage.
