GENEVA — In a major push to fortify health information systems worldwide and address profound systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a comprehensive new approach to improving access to life-saving data. Known as the SCORE for Health Data Technical Package, the initiative represents a milestone effort to help governments collect, analyze, and apply reliable health metrics where they are needed most.
The COVID-19 crisis has served as an unprecedented stress test for public health infrastructure across the globe, laying bare the stark reality that far too many countries still lack the fundamental resources required to routinely gather vital health data. Beyond the initial collection hurdle, many nations also face critical gaps in analytical capacity, making it exceptionally difficult to translate raw figures into strategic health actions and swift, effective emergency responses.
Speaking on the launch of the new initiative, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the foundational role that robust measurement plays in public health administration.
"Countries must be able to measure progress to make progress," said Dr. Tedros. "Particularly during COVID-19, reliable data is the best way to coordinate response efforts and improve health in all areas."
Accurate health data are not merely administrative paperwork; they are recognized by public health experts as an absolute prerequisite for understanding specific, localized country needs. By having access to clear and timely statistics, health authorities can better target interventions, improve overall population health, and ultimately save lives. Furthermore, precise data collection plays a vital role in ensuring that scarce public resources—ranging from medical equipment and personnel to financial aid—are directed precisely to the regions and populations where they are needed most urgently.
To address these systemic challenges, the newly introduced SCORE Technical Package has been engineered around five core pillars, encapsulated by its acronym: Survey, Count, Optimize, Review, and Enable. Designed to improve the availability of timely, reliable, validated, and comparable health data, the package brings together all the key elements for optimized health information system performance into a single, harmonized resource for the first time. In practical terms, SCORE is intended to assist governments around the globe in establishing baseline measurements, setting rigorous benchmarks, and steadily improving clinical and public health standards.
The creation of the package comes as a direct institutional response to the troubling deficiencies in global data availability highlighted in the WHO World Health Statistics 2020 report. To remedy these shortcomings, the SCORE package integrates more than 90 universally accepted tools and standards specifically tailored for strengthening health information systems.
The development and deployment of this resource have been bolstered through strategic international collaboration. The WHO has partnered closely with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative to deliver the timely resource to member states.
"Using data to inform public health priorities and strategies has never been more important," said Dr. Kelly Henning, Director of Public Health Programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies, which provided vital funding to support the development of the SCORE Technical Package. "The SCORE Technical Package provides country governments around the world with high-quality, essential technical guidance so that countries can strengthen their own data systems."
The initial release of the comprehensive package comprises two foundational documents designed to kick-start national implementation and assessment. As part of its broader strategy, the WHO is emphasizing that robust data infrastructure is inextricably linked to achieving broader international development milestones, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO’s own ambitious Triple Billion targets.
Dr. Samira Asma, Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact at WHO, underscored the urgency of immediate action regarding global statistical investments.
"We must keep score to save lives," added Dr. Asma. "WHO is committed to working with countries and partners to rapidly scale up capacity for data collection and use in order to improve policy and performance. We must act now to invest in statistical systems in countries, respond to this pandemic and meet the SDGs and the Triple Billion targets. Our window of opportunity is closing, and we cannot wait to address data gaps. Data use to address country needs has to be a priority today."
Public health authorities note that country-owned, disaggregated data will form the bedrock of any future efforts to build more resilient and sustainable health systems. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a severe wake-up call and a stark reminder of the immense challenges that remain unaddressed, international health officials maintain it also presents a generational opportunity. By fostering international solidarity, transparent information-sharing, and deep cross-border collaboration, nations can effectively "build back better."
The SCORE framework itself stands as a prime example of how a collaborative approach can directly benefit individual countries by offering a standardized, common set of tools rooted in shared global standards. Rather than imposing rigid, unyielding mandates, the package has been intentionally designed to be practical, actionable, and flexible enough to adapt to diverse local contexts and resource levels. WHO leadership continues to reiterate that the global community will only be successful in combatting COVID-19 and future health emergencies if nations work together through coordinated information systems.
Looking ahead, additional components of the SCORE Technical Package are scheduled for release later in the year. These forthcoming additions will include the SCORE Assessment Instrument alongside comprehensive global, regional, and country status reports. Together, these upcoming resources are expected to form a complete, end-to-end package of information, empowering policymakers to effectively plan, execute, and monitor progress against national and subnational priorities, as well as overarching global health targets.
