LAC
The following is a graphical summary of the construction of these Digital Health strategies in the countries of the región Latinoamérica y el Caribe (LAC), grouped together:
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Argentina issued a 5-year Digital Health Strategy in 2018, and is supposed to update it later in the year.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
The Bahamas has developed an IS4H Plan of Action which has been approved by the IS4H Steering Committee, a mulit-sectoral committee reporting to the Minister of Health. The Bahamas will develop a public-facing version of the IS4H Plan of Action in 2023.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Barbados is taking steps to increase its Digital Health initiatives throughout the Ministry of Health, especially with Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but have not yet completed a comprehensive Digital Health Strategy
LInks
- How Barbados is Bridging its Digital Infrastructure Gap
- Digital Feature – The Heart Of Barbados Healthcare
- National Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- PAHO embarks on mission with Barbados to strengthen its Information Systems and Digital Transformation of the Health Sector
- Digital Feature – The Heart Of Barbados Healthcare
- EU to provide funding of €4.38 million for the digitalisation of Barbados’ Queen Elizabeth Hospital
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Belize addresses Health as a major topic to tackle with its National Digital Agenda, but have not yet showcased a comprehansive Digital Health Strategy
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Bolivia has specific digital health objectives in its country's DIGITAL AGENDA, and has begun building its national digital health transformation plan in collaboration with the IDB.
LInks
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Brazil published its Digital Health strategy in 2020, valid till 2028
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Chile advanced sugnifictly in the past couple of years in the fields of Digital Health, and is currently at the stage of building its national agenda in the field.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Colombia issued (2020) an HIE strategy and made significant modification with regard to policy on Telehealth, but has not published a holistic Digital Health Strategy. From 2022 focus on the implementation of the National Health Record interoperability project.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Costa Rica's National Digital Health Strategy 2023-2030
Costa Rica has launched a comprehensive National Digital Health Strategy aimed at transforming its healthcare sector through digital technologies. This strategy aligns with both national health policies and international digital health initiatives.
Key Objectives
The strategy focuses on three main strategic objectives:
- Establish a governance framework, policies, regulations, and compliance mechanisms to enable digital transformation in the health sector.
- Accelerate digital literacy among health professionals and the general population to create a secure digital culture.
- Implement a national health information exchange architecture to facilitate interoperability, standardization, and governance of health data.
Strategic Lines
The strategy incorporates seven strategic lines based on WHO and ITU guidelines:
- Governance and Leadership
- Regulation, Policy, and Compliance
- Strategy and Investment
- Digital Literacy for Human Resources in Health
- Standards and Interoperability
- Information and Communication Technologies Infrastructure
- Digital Services and Applications
Areas of Intervention
The strategy addresses ten key areas:
- Health surveillance
- Primary health care
- Expansion of health service coverage
- Efficient, transparent, and results-oriented management processes
- Interoperability of information systems at national and international levels
- Strengthening digital services and health applications
- Evidence generation for decision-making
- Development of digital competencies in health professionals and service users
- Health data governance with a human rights approach
- Strengthening innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, and digital health businesses
Governance and Implementation
The strategy establishes a governance mechanism to ensure coordination among various stakeholders, including public and private sectors, academia, civil society, and international cooperation organizations. It will be implemented from 2023 to 2027, with funding from existing health sector budgets, potential loans from multilateral organizations, donations, public-private partnerships, and innovation funds
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
The Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic has launched the National Digital Health Strategy 2024-2028 to modernise the health sector through the use of information and communication technologies.
Objectives
- Improve the efficiency and accessibility of health services
- Implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and medical robotics
- Expand telemedicine to reach more Dominicans
Development and implementation
The initiative is aligned with the 2030 Digital Agenda and the National Strategic Plan for Health 2030, and has the technical support of the World Bank, UNDP and RECAINSA. It will be implemented by a governance structure led by the Ministry of Health and composed of various government entities.
Key components
- Single Electronic Health Record
- Digitalisation of processes
- Strengthening telemedicine
- Ethical and Responsible Management of Health Information
This strategy seeks to digitally transform the health sector to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of services, taking advantage of new technologies and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
The Minister of Health, José Ruales, presented the Digital Health Transformation Agenda 2023-2027, with the support and technical advice of the World and Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society (Mintel), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Vice Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador.
Recently, the Ministry of Public Health has developed a national digital transformation policy for the health sector: The National Digital Transformation Policy for the Health Sector 2024-2034. This strategy has the following aspects:
- Main objective: Modernize the health system through digital technologies
- Implementation period: 2024-2034
- Identified challenges:
- Cultural change resistance
- Data fragmentation
- Obsolete technological infrastructure
- Digital divide
- Insufficient technical training
- Main components:
- Implementation of a unified electronic health record
- Development of interoperable health information systems
- Promotion of telemedicine
- Training of health personnel in digital technologies
- Fostering a digital culture in the health sector
- Focus on equity: Aims to reduce inequalities in access to quality health services.
- Intersectoral collaboration: The policy was developed with the participation of various actors from the health and technology sectors.
The policy aims to improve efficiency, reduce inequalities, and expand access to health services through digital tools such as telemedicine and electronic medical records.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
The country has issued a Digital Transformation Strategy, with some parts with it to adress Digital Health issues. In addition, in late 2021 the country published its 5 year plan and strategy for Digital Health. Currenltly, the digital agenda is in the final stages of review prior to publication
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Guatemala officially publushed its 2022-2032 Digital Health strategy (December 2022)
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Guyana will develop its Digital Health Agenda and Roadmap in 2023.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Haiti does not have any current Digital Health Strategy in play or in planning.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Honduras has announced a significant step towards modernizing its healthcare system through the launch of a Digital Transformation Roadmap. This comprehensive plan aims to revolutionize the country's health sector in the short and medium term.
Key Aspects of the Digital Transformation Roadmap
The roadmap addresses several crucial areas:
- Governance
- Management
- Infrastructure
- Processes
- Institutional culture
- Knowledge management
It also includes strategies for digital health, such as the Action Plan for a Unique and Comprehensive Electronic Health Record (EUIS) and telemedicine initiatives.
Expected Outcomes
The digital transformation efforts are expected to:
- Improve medical care
- Streamline medical records
- Enhance clinical decision-making
- Strengthen telemedicine services
- Increase administrative efficiency
- Bolster epidemiological surveillance
Alignment with Regional Goals
This initiative aligns with Objective 6 of the Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas (ASSA) 2018-2030, which focuses on Health Information Systems. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has recognized Honduras' commitment to developing its own strategic and technical framework for digital transformation.
Collaborative Effort
The launch event saw participation from various Honduran institutions, including the National Registry of Persons (RNP), the National Institute of Statistics (INE), and the Results Management Directorate (DIGER). International organizations such as PAHO, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were also represented.
This roadmap is part of the broader National Health Refoundation Plan 2024-2030, specifically addressing the integrated management of the public health system.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Jamaica has developed an National Digital Health and Information Systems for Heat Strategic Plan.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Mexico has a general Digital Transformation strategy, but not a dedeicated Digital Health Strategy.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Nicaragua did not published a Digital Health Strategy to date
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Panama issued its Digital Transformation Agenda, that includes reccomendations regarding Digital Health. However, a formal Digital Health Strategy has not been published.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Paraguay has published a National Digital Agenda, which includes topics regarding the health sector, but have not yet published a full Digital Health Strategy
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Peru's Ministry of Health has published its National Digital Health Agenda (2020-2025)
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Suriname has developed a Digital Health Agenda and IS4H Plan of Action for the period 2022 to 2027.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Trinidad and Tobago has started building it's national strategy for Digital Transformation, and will develop its Digital Health Agenda and Roadmap in 2023.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
Uruguay has a Digital Health Strategy (Salud.uy) who's aim is to advance the usage of ICT within the health sector and improve quality and continues care in the system.
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- 0Without knowledge and/or without a planned agenda
- 1In progress
- 2It has a strategy, but it is not officially published
- 3Digital Health strategy publicly available online
No references to a digital health strategy in the country have been found.
Region: LAC
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