About the Health Information, Evidence and Research unit

The goal of health information is to contribute to attaining universal coverage of quality services for improved health outcomes through improved access and utilization of health information.

Countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region are diverse in terms of their level of health information systems development and the challenges they face. In countries with weak health information systems there are fundamental problems in data collection, data quality, timely generation of quality information, data analysis and utilization of information.

Even in countries where health information systems function well, there are persistent challenges such as weak information on the performance of health providers and quality of care, and limited access to health information by the general public. Too often health information exists but it is hidden in isolated pockets or stored in ways that make it difficult to use and impossible to share.

The Health Information, Evidence and Research Unit supports countries to treat health information as a national asset, use evidence to drive decisions and strengthen research capacity.