10 In 2020, WHO introduced the following principles to provide the foundation for the governance of data and health statistics across the Organization.
- WHO shall treat data as a public good
- WHO shall uphold Member States’ trust in data
- WHO shall support Member States’ data and health information systems capacity
- WHO shall be a responsible data manager and steward
- WHO shall strive to fill public health data gaps
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WHO shall treat data as a public good. WHO shall make every effort to release data publicly and to share data when it is safe and ethical to do so. Unless there is a legitimate justification to the contrary (see paragraph 30), WHO shall make data open (see section
XXII.6.4) and accessible to the public. This principle also applies to data such as vital statistics (derived from civil registration systems), survey data and the results of research, and data shared with WHO by non-Member State entities (including the private sector) that collaborate with WHO on common projects.
30 Exemptions to data disclosure should be considered in the light of WHO’s mandate and policies which address data-sharing, information classification, information disclosure, personal data protection and cybersecurity, as well as broader potential risks such as political, reputational, safety and security, or otherwise (see section
XXII.3.1). Common legitimate exemptions to open data publication include:
- a formal request from a Member State to opt out of sharing data that it has provided (see section XXII.6.1);
- data previously shared with WHO by third parties, including Member States and implementing partners, where there is an expectation of confidentiality;
- data that, if disclosed, may endanger or prejudice the safety or security of any individual or have an impact on the exercise of their human rights;
- data containing identifiers, such as personal health data (see section XXII.3.1, paragraphs 50 and 60);
- data that, if disclosed, may endanger the security of a Member State or prejudice the security or conduct of any operation or activity undertaken by WHO;
- data shared, either internally or externally, that are intended to be used solely for organizational operations (e.g. draft documents and emails);
- financial data that, if disclosed, would harm either the financial interests of WHO or a partner;
- data that, if disclosed, would undermine a policy dialogue with a Member State or an implementing partner; and
- other types of data which, because of their content or the circumstances of their creation, must be deemed confidential.
40 WHO shall uphold Member States’ trust in data. WHO shall uphold the trust placed in it by Member States when it processes data that Member States have shared and placed under the Organization’s control.
50 WHO shall support Member States’ data and health information systems capacity. WHO shall support Member States’ capacity-building activities, aiming for sustainability and sharing of best practices wherever it can – specifically for the development of sound data governance, health management information systems, public health statistics, health-related data science and health data innovation.
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WHO shall be a responsible data manager and steward. WHO will ensure that all data made available to the Organization are processed, stored, analysed, disseminated and used in accordance with international standards and best practices in health data management. These standards and best practices include all relevant United Nations data governance standards and information sharing protocols, WHO data standards (see section
XII.2.6) and guidance that applies to WHO pursuant to its mandate, including the FAIR guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship (to improve the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse of digital assets) and the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER) for estimations.
70 WHO shall ensure that all data it produces are consistently of high standard, including being timely, accurate, comparable and (where technically and legally possible) accessible, with transparent audit trails and explicit reference years.
80 WHO shall strive to fill public health data gaps. WHO will support Member States to fill gaps in public health data, using empirical data collection and predictive modelling methods with proven validity.
