Papua New Guinea has reportedly become the first country to adopt the regional WHO Data Management Competency Framework, which aims to “equip the health workforce with essential skills for data management, analysis, and quality assessments”.
The Data, Strategy, and Innovation (DSI) team at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, developed the regional framework as a practical tool to be used in identifying capacity gaps and required competencies for healthcare workforces “for the entire data lifecycle”.
Addressing “capacity gaps on both national and sub-national levels”, the NDoH launched the Provincial Health Authority Monitoring & Evaluation toolkit in September of 2023, with data management competency profiles based on the WHO’s Competency Framework. These competencies will be used to help provide a “clear foundation” to assess training needs and develop long-term capacity-building strategies.
The adoption follows collaboration between WHO Papua New Guinea and the Papua New Guinea National Department of Health (NDoH) at a national health information workshop in October of 2022, where a “standardized set of competencies required for data-related positions at both the national and provincial levels” was established.
It is hoped that Papua New Guinea can now serve as a “pivotal example” of the adaptability of the framework for member states, given the “diverse nature” and “varying needs” of Member States’ health information systems.
To learn more about the framework, please click here.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched its Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH), with the initiative focusing on aligning resources for country-led digital health transformation through “strengthened collaboration and knowledge exchange” along with supporting the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025.
