The World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union are inviting comments on draft reference architecture guidance for digital public infrastructure for health, intended to help countries plan and implement national digital health infrastructure.
The call for comment seeks input from those involved in the planning, governing, building, or financing of digital health infrastructure, including ministries of health, enterprise and solution architects, procurement teams, development partners, and clinical, public health, and standards communities.
Respondents are asked for feedback on a range of areas including clarity, completeness, technical soundness, and practicality, either via a comment matrix or online form. Questions look at how well the guidance meets the intended purpose, scope, and audience; and the soundness of core architectural choice and distinction, two-layer architecture, interoperability, and conformance and testing.
Comments are also invited on implementation pathways, financing, sustainability, applicability across low, middle, and high income settings, and the usefulness of country and regional examples.
Feedback will be used to inform revisions to the guidance ahead of its publication later in 2026, according to the WHO, with contributors whose feedback is used in shaping the final material potentially being recognised in associated acknowledgements.
Wider trend: International digital health
The Australian Digital Health Agency has published its National Framework for Digital Health Standards aiming to advance interoperability, collaboration, and support secure information sharing across the Australian health sector. “Digital health standards are foundational to enabling safe, secure, and meaningful exchange of health information across care settings,” the Agency states. “They underpin the design and operation of digital health solutions, ensuring that data flows accurately and consistently between providers, systems, and consumers. The Standards Framework recognises that while significant progress has been made, a unified national strategy is essential to overcome fragmented adoption and realise the full benefits of connected care.”
New legislation will require all suppliers offering digital health services in Canada to adhere to common standards to promote connected care and secure information sharing. The Connected Care for Canadians Act focuses on improving connectivity between different systems and paving the way for AI innovation in the health sector. A Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap is also in development to map out the path forward in common interoperability and data standards.
The Ministry of Health in New Zealand has published new regional health data from its national health survey, offering insight into key health indicators using a three-year rolling average to facilitate regional and local analysis. Datasets are grouped by health topic, including barriers to accessing primary care, cardiovascular health, emergency department use, life satisfaction, and primary care use. Results are available for a number of different geographic areas including district health boards, health regions, and regional councils, with hopes the data can help to support planning, monitoring, and analysis.
