Bangkok, Thailand – The Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) participated in a parallel session PS3.2 “Strengthening Health Data Governance: Leadership and Action,” hosted by Transform Health during Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2025 at Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World on February 1, 2025.
Eric Sutherland, Senior Health Economist at Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), moderated the session. Mathilde Forslund, Executive Director of Transform Health gave the opening presentation introducing the Model Law on Health Data Governance (HDG). The panel consisted of Dr. Kidong Park, Director of Data Strategy & Innovation, World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Office (WHO WPRO), Nirmal Rijal, Independent Consultant from Nepal, Shelani Palihawadana, a facilitator from Young Experts: Tech for Health, and Xin Rou Teh, AeHIN secretariat in Malaysia, who presented on behalf of Dr. Fazilah Shaik Allaudin, Director of Penang State Health Department of the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Teh shared health data governance-related updates from Malaysia, particularly the Digital Health Division, a new division under the Ministry of Health that will implement digital health transformation in the country. Malaysia is also working on the Omnibus Act, which will facilitate data sharing and cloud storage among government agencies through the Malaysian Main Database (PADU) and developing guidelines on consent for health data processing. These developments resonate with the agenda of the Model Law on HDG.
In the panel discussion, trust, collaboration, and patient safety were discussed explicitly. With strong health data governance, trust can be built among stakeholders. Political will and understanding of the importance of health data governance can lead to the endorsement of a global framework.
This session allowed the panelists to share their viewpoints on the challenges faced on health data and health data governance and updates on the existing landscape in their countries. Collaboration between stakeholders is the key to success in this health data governance agenda. Dr. Kidong Park ended with the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”