The Health Information and Digital Health (HID) unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has successfully supported 19 countries, covering 99% of the Region’s population, in conducting comprehensive health information system (HIS) assessments. This achievement surpasses the regional target of 15 countries set for 2025 and advances efforts toward universal health coverage.
These assessments used the SCORE technical package, developed by WHO and partners, which provides essential interventions, recommended actions, tools, and resources to address challenges in meeting HIS needs. SCORE assessments systematically evaluate health data availability and quality, enabling countries to monitor trends, identify emerging health challenges, and improve policies and programs for healthier communities. The first round of SCORE assessments was conducted between 2019 and 2021 in 14 countries across the Region and more than 130 countries globally, while the second round took place between 2024 and 2025.
SCORE assessments are a key priority for Member States and WHO at all levels, embedded in WHO-Country/Multi-Country Cooperation Strategies, the Regional Vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025–2029), and the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028). Within this Regional Vision, implementing SCORE assessments is a critical action to advance health equity through technology and innovation.
The SCORE package is organized into five key interventions. Survey (S) evaluates population-based surveys, surveillance systems, and censuses, including capacity to monitor health-related SDGs. Count (C) focuses on birth, death, and cause-of-death registration as part of functional civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. Optimize (O) assesses routine health service data and key health service inputs, such as financing and workforce. Review (R) examines regular analytical reviews of health sector performance, while Enable (E) addresses the policy, governance, and digital foundations needed to support effective data use.
In the Western Pacific Region, performance is relatively strong in the Review (R) and Count (C) interventions. Most countries demonstrate good analytical reporting and institutional capacity for learning, and over two-thirds show mature CRVS systems with improved birth and death registration. However, medical certification of cause-of-death remains a key gap in over half of the countries. Performance in the Survey (S) intervention is mixed, as surveillance systems are generally strong, but several countries face challenges in implementing surveys and censuses and monitoring health-related SDGs.
The greatest challenges are in the Optimize (O) and Enable (E) interventions. More than half of countries have lower maturity in routine health service and resource systems, and two-thirds face difficulties using data effectively for policy and action, due to gaps in digital infrastructure, governance, legislation, and data sharing. Multi-stakeholder consultations and validation workshops were conducted in many countries to review findings and plan HIS strengthening strategies. The HID unit continues to provide targeted support to help countries develop HIS improvement plans, guiding investments and coordination for maximum impact.
WHO also provides tailored technical assistance to countries to address key gaps identified through SCORE assessments. These assessments are recommended periodically to monitor progress in HIS strengthening, with continuous tracking of improvements. Additional countries will receive support to implement SCORE in 2026, with the Regional Vision aiming for all countries to have completed SCORE assessments and increased their SCORE index by 2029. WHO targets 80% of Member States in the Region to conduct round two assessments, and countries yet to complete assessments are encouraged to contact the HID unit for support.
The implementation of SCORE HIS assessments in the Western Pacific Region was supported by The Gates Family Foundation, reinforcing the Region’s commitment to building robust health information systems and advancing universal health coverage.
