Building on the rich discussions and conversations at the Precision Public Health Asia 2021 Conference on the importance of data sharing in the health sector, the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore collaborated with the Precision Public Health Asia Society to gather views, insights and advice from more than 30 experts representing different countries from the Asia Pacific region and professional background in a series of roundtable discussions.

From the perspective and insights shared, the School and the Society developed a White Paper on Responsible Data Sharing in Health and Healthcare, which provides a comprehensive discourse on the topic as well as useful and practical steps for stakeholders to work toward a progressive future where health data can be shared more openly, in a safe and responsible manner, and in a way that value-adds to health systems around the world.

The steps outlined in the White Paper – such as establishing a framework for data sharing and setting up a national digital health agency – are some of the practical actions that stakeholders can take to progress towards a more progressive and responsible data sharing ecosystem for health and healthcare data. Moving forward, there are several guiding principles and key considerations for stakeholders to keep in mind when implementing these recommendations in order to foster cross-border data sharing that is premised on the values of equity, trust and public good.