Health minister for data harmonization for better decision making 

ISLAMABAD: Stressing the need for using digital technology for integration of health-related tasks to improve well-being of the people, Caretaker Federal Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan has called for data harmonization to ensure better decision-making in the health sector.

He said this while speaking at a two-day national conference on the ‘Integrated Approach for Evidence-Based Public Health and the Role of the National Health Data Center (NHDC).

 He said that this is an opportunity to explore the avenues for all health-related data sources, develop   consensus and sort out ways and means for future collaboration.

Highlighting the role of speedy transformation of technology in the health sector’s advancement, he said a huge amount of data could be gathered through different sources and transformed into knowledge for evidence-based decision-making to improve health indicators.

“Currently we are facing multiple challenges, including data fragmentation, interoperability issues, and privacy concerns and there is a need for a robust data governance program,” he said.

He said healthcare delivery, research, and policy-making could be revolutionized because of the availability of reliable, valid and comprehensive data.

. “It [data] holds the key to unlocking new insights, enabling evidence-based decision-making, and ultimately, saving lives.”

He said the NHDC has been established under NIH to collect scattered health data under one central digital repository and it performed remarkable tasks during Covid-1 pandemic and floods. 

NHCD is still committed to enhance and fortify the national surveillance system, he added. 

Terming NIH a technical arm of the health ministry, Dr Jan said it coordinated and supported provinces during emergencies.