The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Japan have joined forces to enhance digital health services in Latin America and the Caribbean through a $5 million contribution from Japan. This marks the first donation to the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health Initiative, led by the IDB, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and countries from the region.

The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health is focused on pandemic readiness and the continuity of healthcare building on the advances made further to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the digitization of clinical data, it promotes the interoperability and exchange of health information, allowing patients to access and share vital details such as vaccination status, allergies, diagnosis, or prescriptions whenever and wherever required. This fosters quality healthcare services by enabling health teams to make informed decisions regarding a patient’s health, consider their medical history, and optimize regional resources.

Additionally, this data can assist governments in making better decisions about the health of their population. Furthermore, the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health supports countries in joining the WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network, which allows for the secure verification of health information.

Digital health is a key priority of the G20 Agenda, currently led by Brazil. The Pan-American Highway for Digital Health supports the convergence and acceleration of country priorities at the regional level.