The COVID–19 pandemic has exposed long-standing data governance issues such as intellectual property rights, data sharing, reuse and storage. Globally, persistent data gaps and fragmented approaches to governing health data in different contexts are a major roadblock to using data as a Global Public Good. Health data is a strategic asset that requires global cooperation with clear direction in an evolving, fragmented global landscape. This is highlighted in the UN Secretary General’s Data Strategy, World Bank’s 2021 Development Report, 52nd UN Economic and Social Council Statistical Commission and OECD’s Partnership in Statistics (PARIS21).
In response, WHO has convened a global summit on health data governance over two half-days. The first summit on 30 June brought together WHO, Member States, partners and the general public to underscore the need for health data as a global public good, the importance of adopting common data principles, and the urgency to institutionalize robust data governance mechanisms across all sectors. This resulted in a draft summit statement which was made available for public comment as well as a Summit Report outlining key takeaways.
This summit presents the final statement and further advance this dialogue with a focus on three technical tracks: 1. Research data sharing; 2. Public health and disease surveillance; 3. Data sharing policies: Legal and ethical considerations