AHEAD explores the possibilities of integrating the data that exist within the Belgian health information system and facilitating its use for scientific exploitation and valorisation. In the longer term, the project aims to contribute to the development of a national health data platform.

Belgium has a rich health information landscape, with valuable information from administrative sources (e.g., health care use, mortality and causes of death, social security) as well as population health surveys and surveillance systems. These different sources are managed by a variety of academic and governmental actors, including Sciensano. To date, however, an integrated national health information system is lacking, hampering the valorisation of these data sources.