Health information

"A well functioning health information system is one that ensures the production, analysis, dissemination and use of reliable and timely health information by decision-makers at different levels of the health system, both on a regular basis and in emergencies. It involves three domains of health information: on health determinants; on health systems performance; and on health status. To achieve this, a health information system must: Generate population and facility based data: from censuses, household surveys, civil registration data, public health surveillance, medical records, data on health services and health system resources (e.g. human resources, health infrastructure and financing); have the capacity to detect, investigate, communicate and contain events that threaten public health security at the place they occur, and as soon as they occur; have the capacity to synthesize information and promote the availability and application of this knowledge." (WHO)