The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) held an interactive session on the health data repository project and the national disease registry, seeking to strengthen the linkage between the ministry's Statistics and Research Center, and public and private sector partners in the field of health statistics, to acquire a complete image of the country's health status and facilitate health statistical work and realistic monitoring of health services and diseases.
The session was attended by HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, HE Muhammad Hassan Ahli, Executive Director of the Data and Statistics Sector at the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics, and Dr. Alia Zaid Harbi, Director of the Statistics and Research Center at the Ministry.
In addition, representatives from the federal and local health authorities, the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics, Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, Dubai Heath Authority and Ministry of the Interior were also present.
Health data repository & national disease registry
The project features two phases, including the establishment of links with stakeholders and the development of a disease registry system by creating digital dashboards for various health indicators.
It also involves the automation of issuing reports to ensure improved data quality and reduced time required to execute these tasks.
In the second phase, advanced studies in the healthcare industry will be conducted using data science, and artificial intelligence among other techniques and tools.
The Ministry has devised a strategy to establish a national disease registration system, which is one of the pioneering initiatives in the field of disease surveillance and registration, intended to monitor, record, and analyze patient data to raise its quality on a comprehensive national level for the most prevalent diseases in the country.
Importance of data in shaping health policies
While speaking about the project, Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand stated, "The ministry is dedicated to achieving excellence in the field of healthcare by employing best health practices based on statistical data. This will aid in the implementation of the best strategic planning and decision-making based on databases that assist in the evaluation and measurement of health service performance."
He pointed out that health databases and statistical data are a key element in formulating plans and policies, as well as ensuring the optimal distribution of health resources and services effectively to improve community health and update health indicators.
He highlighted the significance of the health data repository and the national disease registry in increasing the reliability of statistical data as a key factor in devising health policies and promoting sustainable development.
The Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector further referred to the importance of numbers and statistics in shaping the future vision and measuring performance indicators to improve health services, thus placing the UAE at the forefront in this regard both regionally and globally, and in line with the national agenda and the aspirations of the UAE Centennial 2071.
The power of data integration
Mohamed Hassan Ahli, Executive Director of the Data and Statistics Sector at the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics also mentioned the power of data integration, in all vital national sectors, including the health sector, emphasizing the importance of linking data between competent authorities in enhancing coordination and easy access to information, stressing that the management and governance of big data bolster the competitiveness of the UAE.
A central platform for big health data
Additionally, Dr. Alia Zaid Harbi outlined the project's importance and impact on the quality of health data, and how it represents a paradigm shift in the field of health statistical work by establishing a central platform for a massive amount of health data.
She went on to say that the project would benefit scientific research by allowing for the formation of vital systematic studies utilizing data science techniques to examine the country's health situation and conduct international benchmarking.
Dr. Harbi noted that the ministry has established the Department of Data Science and Informatics within the organizational structure of its Center for Statistics and Research with the goal to create specialized management of the health data repository project and the national disease registry, develop plans and strategies for the use of technologies and data science tools, and develop activities related to health data to realize the project’s desired outcome, thus achieving the Ministry’s vision of providing health care in accordance with international best practices.