Nadi, Fiji – April 28–30, 2026 – The Pacific Digital Health Interoperability Bootcamp, a landmark three-day initiative to translate digital health strategy into concrete action, was held in Nadi, Fiji, bringing together approximately 50 stakeholders from across the Pacific region. Led by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with support from the Government of Australia and the World Bank, and in collaboration with the Pacific Health Information Network (PHIN), the Bootcamp achieved its core objective: to move from strategic vision to implementation by translating the 2025 PHIN recommendations into country-led actions.

Building Regional Capacity Through Proven Interoperability Models

The Bootcamp convened Ministry of Health representatives leading digital health initiatives, technical experts in health information systems and interoperability, and government stakeholders engaged in digital transformation, standards, and architecture. A key highlight was the participation of Dr. Alvin B. Marcelo, founder of the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) Standards and Interoperability Lab and convener of the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) Community of Interoperability Labs (COIL).

Dr. Marcelo brought regional expertise and proven frameworks to the Bootcamp, sharing AeHIN’s strategic approach to advancing interoperability across Asia and the Pacific. Drawing on successful implementation models, including the AeHIN Mind the GAPS, Fill the GAPS Framework (which emphasizes Governance, Architecture, Program Management, and Standards and Interoperability), Dr. Marcelo highlighted how Pacific Island Countries can institutionalize interoperable digital health systems through coherent architecture, improved governance, and regional collaboration.

“Interoperability is not purely a technical challenge,” Dr. Marcelo emphasized, underscoring that bridging data fragmentation requires standards and technology alongside capacity building, collaborative governance, and cross-institutional learning—core pillars of the COIL approach that has strengthened digital health outcomes across Southeast Asia.

Launch of Digital Health Academy and Regional Capacity Building

The Bootcamp served as the inaugural event for the Digital Health Academy (DHA), a regional capacity-building and learning platform designed to support Pacific countries in achieving sustainable, people-centered digital health systems. The Academy represents a critical investment in regional resilience, addressing the unique challenges Pacific Island Countries face due to vast geographic dispersion, limited transport infrastructure, workforce shortages, and climate risks.

Sister Networks, Shared Mission

The Bootcamp underscored the deepening partnership between PHIN and AeHIN, sister networks committed to advocating for resilient, interoperable digital health systems across their respective regions. Both networks recognize that digital health—when built on foundations of shared standards, governance, and people-centered design—is essential to advancing health equity, system resilience, and equitable access to care.

Through collaboration with AeHIN and the COIL network, the Bootcamp reinforced the importance of regional knowledge exchange, communities of practice, and sandboxing through FHIRlab to strengthen capacity for standards and interoperability in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Photos courtesy of the Pacific Community (SPC).