Japan Becomes First Official Donor of Pan-American Highway for Digital Health Initiative – PAHO/WHO
Japan Strengthens IDB-PAHO Initiative on Pandemic Preparedness and Continuity of Care
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, March 10, 2024 — The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Japan have joined forces to improve digital health services in Latin America and the Caribbean through a contribution of $5 million Japan. This is the first donation to the Pan American Highway Initiative for Digital Health, led by the IDB, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and countries in the region.
The Pan American Highway for Digital Health focuses on pandemic preparedness and continuity of care based on progress made following the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the digitization of clinical data, it promotes interoperability and sharing of health information, allowing patients to access and share vital details such as vaccination status, allergies, diagnosis or prescriptions when and where necessary. This promotes quality healthcare services by allowing healthcare teams to make informed decisions about a patient’s health, consider their medical history, and optimize regional resources.
Additionally, this data can help governments make better decisions about the health of their populations. Additionally, the Pan American Highway for Digital Health supports countries to join the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network, which enables secure verification of health information.
«The Pan American Highway for Digital Health will allow patients to access quality healthcare services regardless of their location, whether in a new city, province or country. Japan’s status as the first official donor of this initiative will allow us to improve public health and continuity of care in the region by facilitating the reliable exchange of health information,” said IDB President Ilan Goldfajn.
“Japan has established the Japan Special Fund (JSF) at the IDB, which has long made a wide range of contributions to infrastructure, disaster risk management and public health. This specific contribution will also be made through the JSF. Through this initiative, Japan anticipates that promoting data sharing through digital technologies will achieve seamless data flows across borders and, as such, help overcome various challenges, including coordination in the region, thereby achieving better development results. This is the epitome of bringing together several development priorities in a single project, including regional connectivity, digital innovation and public health,” said Deputy Minister of Finance for International Affairs of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Japan, Mr. Daiho Fujii .
Digital health is a key priority of the G20 Agenda, currently led by Brazil. The Pan American Highway for Digital Health supports the convergence and acceleration of countries’ priorities at the regional level.
Together, the IDB and PAHO are collaborating with more than 20 countries to facilitate digital transformation, improving the foundations of digital health, including governance, universal connectivity, infrastructure, services and applications for health and improvement. of human capital. A recent example is the Regional meeting and connectionathon RELACIS 4.0 held in November 2023 in São Paulo, Brazil.
The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, commented: «As we embark on a renewed digital transformation agenda for the Americas, collaboration between PAHO and the IDB is essential to ensure the Cross-border interoperability will ensure that every individual has access to the health care they need, where and when they need it, and that health systems are equipped with the information necessary to take effective action. This initiative is more than a partnership or regional effort «It is a fundamental element for a healthier future for all.»
More information
Video about the Pan American Highway Initiative for Digital Health
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization, and Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, explain what regional healthcare could look like in Latin America and the Caribbean.
