Intergovernmental Collaboration in Global Health Informatics

Abstract The health of people in the world has experienced noteworthy improvements over the past several decades. However, several critical goals remain unmet regarding global health. Viewing the glass as half-full, the spread and uptake of information and communications technologies (ICTs) have the potential to level the playing field by reducing some of these barriers and enabling information-sharing that will assist in equalizing these differences. In this context health informatics initiatives make sense only within a framework of collaboration. Launching a project of this kind in isolation can lead to its failure, which makes intergovernmental collaboration so important. When the political will, available technology, and necessary human and financial resources all exist, intergovernmental collaboration plays a key role in successful implementation of this type of project. This chapter addresses the intergovernmental collaboration in health informatics including the types of actors needed; the description of the different levels of intergovernmental collaboration at the local, national, and regional levels; some key aspects to consider when initiating intergovernmental collaboration in health informatics and a final conclusion.