The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with partners, will convene the first Africa Health Data Forum from 10 to 12 November 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Forum brings together Member States, development partners, technical and financial institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector for a country-driven dialogue on strengthening health data and information systems across Africa.
Reliable, timely and accessible health information is essential for effective health planning, equitable resource allocation and improved health outcomes. While countries on the African continent have made progress in strengthening health information systems, significant challenges remain in data availability, quality, analysis, accessibility and use.
Recent WHO assessments, including SCORE and health information system functionality assessments, highlighted persistent gaps in governance, financing, workforce capacity, digital integration and the use of evidence for decision-making. These challenges are often compounded by fragmented information systems, parallel reporting requirements and limited interoperability across programmes, institutions and platforms.
The Forum will provide a platform for participants to listen to country experiences, learn from one another, identify common and country-specific priorities, and explore practical ways of working together to address them.
The aim is not to develop another set of recommendations but to better understand country needs. By bringing together decision-makers, technical experts and financing partners, the Forum aims to translate evidence into coordinated action and investment to strengthen health systems and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage and health security.
