What is International Health Information? 

Health information is crucial for making informed decisions in public health. Health Information includes the monitoring of (trends in) public health and healthcare and putting this in perspective. International health information expands this to the international context, allowing for between-country comparisons and learnings.

Examples of (international) health information activities are collecting data and their metadata; analysing and interpreting data; working on better and more comparable classification systems, data, and indicators; translating integrated analyses into information that can be used by policymakers; keeping track of scientific articles, reports, and websites; and exchanging knowledge and experience with other national and international experts.  

In the Netherlands, these activities are carried out by various institutes and organisations. They provide data and information to international organisations such as Eurostat, WHO, and the OECD and individual research networks. These organisations and networks collect, harmonise, and present these figures along with those of other countries, mainly in interactive databases and reports. Our national institutes and organisations are thus part of an international data and information landscape.

RIVM is involved in different parts of the national and international health information system.